Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) will officially abandon its Memphis International hub with effect from September 3, 2013, the airline has confirmed, On the back of falling demand and higher fuel prices, company spokesman, Anthony Black, said there was only "enough demand for 50-seat regional jets on most routes"; jets that Delta "is in the process of phasing out." Delta inherited the hub after the acquisition of Northwest Airlines (Minneapolis St. Paul International) in 2010, though its use has become more and more difficult to justify financially given the relatively close proximity of Delta's primary hub, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, just 600km away. While Delta's departure will cost nearly 300 jobs and 36 out of 96 daily Delta flights, Memphis will still continue to see good coverage in the form of AirTran Airways (Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson), American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), SeaPort Airlines (2008) (Portland International), Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field), United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) and US Airways (Phoenix Sky Harbor).