Northwest Airlines will soon be using smaller airplanes to cut up to 100 seats a day from flights between Bismarck and Minneapolis as part of a nationwide plan to cut costs 10 percent.

The news has public officials worried about the future of air service in Bismarck and other cities that are served by Northwest Airlines.

Bismarck Mayor John Warford said it could be tough to gain service back once it is reduced.

"What concerns me the most is that once it is started … it's so hard to go back the other way,"Warford said.

Grant Whitney, North America manager of market planning for Northwest Airlines, said the frequency of flights - currently six a day - will remain the same, but some of them will be with smaller airplanes. The cuts could come in October or November.

The news of the cuts came Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of Northwest Airlines, city officials and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., at the Bismarck Municipal Airport. Dorgan said Tuesday was the first time he had heard that Bismarck could see a 100-seat reduction in service.

"If we are to see a 100-seat loss and a mix of more RJs (regional jets), that's a problem,"Dorgan said.

Airport manager Greg Haug said he hopes the change will only be temporary. Haug said the trend in Bismarck has shown increased demand for service, but he understands the financial difficulties airlines are facing.

"It just seems like they've been handed a bad set of cards time and time again,"Haug said.

Dorgan is arranging a meeting in Minneapolis between city leaders from Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks and Fargo and Northwest Airline officials in September to try and persuade airline officials not to cut service in the state.

During Tuesday's meeting, Dorgan also asked if a looming strike by Northwest mechanics belonging to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association would affect air service in North Dakota. The strike could begin anytime after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

Northwest Airlines is asking for $1.1 billion in labor cost savings, of which $176 million would come from workers represented by AMFA. The National Labor Relations Board released both parties from negotiations on July 20, and the union overwhelmingly gave approval to authorize a strike if needed.

Sally Veith, director of government affairs for Northwest Airlines, said the company plans to operate a normal schedule if a strike is called.

"We feel like we are fully prepared to operate a full schedule,"Veith said.

According to a press release from Northwest Airlines, the company has been preparing for a strike for the past 18 months and is ready to use vendors and contract mechanics to avoid cancelling flights. The Associated Press reported that officials at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are preparing for a strike by extending shifts for police officers and having cots ready in case stranded passengers have to sleep at the airport. The union and the airline have been in negotiations to try to reach a compromise before a strike is called.

According to a news release from Northwest Airlines, the company has the highest labor costs in the industry.