AIRLINES

Delta to Reduce Staffing on Short Flights: The nation’s third-largest carrier said it will have fewer flight attendants on some of its shortest flights starting Sept. 1. No layoffs are expected from the changes, and all flights will still meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements, said Todd Clay, a spokesman for Delta Air Lines Inc. The airline expects to save $17 million a year from the changes, with a goal of cutting annual operating costs by about $2 billion by June, 1997.