ALBANY, GA -- Anyone who travels by plane knows flying the friendly skies isn't cheap. But it's not just expensive for passengers, for airlines it costs a lot to put planes in the air.

“The airlines still are not making money, the fuel prices are still too volatile,” said Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Director Yvette Aehle.

In some cases airlines can even lose money on certain flights.

“I've actually read that there are airplanes that go out with nobody on them, but they do operate because they have to operate, they have to get the plane back to the base or back to the hub,” said Aehle.

That's why Delta came out, naming 24 airports they can no longer afford to provide service for they may even consider cancelling service. The airliner says they're losing a total of $14 million a year. That's even after they receive federal dollars to provide essential service at those airports.

“Delta has seen that they load factors are not good and they are actually losing money above and beyond what the government is actually giving them to operate in and out of there,” said Aehle.

Delta is the only airline that offers service in Albany. They fly three flights in and out every day, but airport officials tell me that Albany is in no danger of losing service, because most of their flights are almost completely full.

“They are not talking about a market like Albany. Albany is operating anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of seats filled. So we are far from being a market that delta does not consider profitable,” said Aehle.