Delta Air Lines plans to hire 25,000 people in the next five years, according to a company statement. Delta CEO Ed Bastian and other airline industry leaders met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday for a meeting about aviation. Bastian said in a statement that he appreciated meeting with Trump and other industry colleagues.
"We had a positive discussion about many of the major issues facing U.S. travelers, airline employees and the aviation industry, which is a vital economic engine for America," he said. "I look forward to working with President Trump, Secretary Chao, Secretary Tillerson and other members of the administration on issues important to Delta, our employees and our customers. Delta has been leading the charge to expand and upgrade our nation's airports, with extensive improvement projects planned and underway at major Delta hubs."
Delta has a significant presence as one of the five major airlines to fly in and out of the Dayton International Airport. It also has flights out of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. About 22,827 passengers flew Delta at Dayton International Airport in December.
REAL ESTATE
Ohio ranked No. 3 in the nation at the end of last year among states with the highest share of homeowners with mortgages that are seriously underwater, or owe at least 25 percent more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, according to a report Thursday from ATTOM Data Solutions.
The number of seriously underwater Ohio homeowners represented 16.3 percent of all homeowners in the state, ranking just behind Illinois, where 16.6 percent of homeowners were underwater, and Nevada, which took the top spot for seriously underwater homeowners at 19.5 percent, according to the Irvine, Calif.-based real estate data tracker’s report.
The Dayton metro area fared somewhat better, but not much, despite benefiting from a long-term trend in home price appreciation that pushed the average sales price in the Dayton area to an all-time record of $161,380 in June, and $138,101 in December — a new record for the month, according to the Dayton Area Board of Realtors.
RETAIL
LOCAL IMPACT: Another women’s clothing retailer closing 120 stores
Another women’s clothing retailer is closing 120 stores, including a location at the Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe.
BCBGMAXAZRIA announced it will close 120 stores across the U.S. over the next eight to 10 weeks. The only store impacted in Ohio currently is the outlet store in Monroe. All other BCBG stores, including one at the Tanger Outlets in Jeffersonville, will remain open.
“These stores either are unprofitable or have untenable lease agreements,” a company spokesman wrote to this newspaper. “BCBG is committed to taking the necessary steps to realign our brand going forward. We will focus on the future by investing in our partner relationships, driving sales in our remaining stores, exploring licensing opportunities, and expanding our digital reach.”
The company also said it is re-positioning its brands and operations with a focus on e-commerce sales, in-store boutiques, wholesale and licensing arrangements. A closing date for the Monroe store is not known.
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