PrimeFlight, the airport services unit of Nashville-based SMS Holdings, will soon lay off more than 60 people in San Antonio after losing a contract with Delta Air Lines. The negative news comes not long after the company told Texas authorities more than 270 people would lose their jobs in Houston after United Airlines pulled the plug on its deal.

Airport spokesman Rich Johnson said PrimeFlight had contracts with both Delta and Aeromexico. How many PrimeFlight employees would remain after the layoffs was unclear.

Nashville-based Airline Maintenance Service has been chosen to manage the fixed-base operations at Tupelo Regional Airport. The contract, which comes shortly after AMS set up general maintenance operations in Tupelo, is expected to become effective in June.

AMS President Corey Gillard said the general aviation climate in the region is better than many other areas, a reason why his company opened its Tupelo maintenance shop for light turbine engine plane. In Nashville, many of those customers cross over to that FBO, and Gillard said he envisions the same thing happening here.

"The FBO is a natural extension of our business," he said.

PrimeFlight Aviation Services, a division of Nashville-based SMS Holdings, has notified Texas officials it will lay off 276 people next month after losing its Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport contract with United Airlines. PrimeFlight works at 45 airports and employs more than 5,000 people in the United States and the Caribbean. The company is facing a Department of Labor investigation over allegations that it forced employees to report more tips than they actually received.

Local engineering and architecture firm Gresham Smith has been awarded the design contract for a signage upgrade project at Philadelphia International Airport. The signage upgrades will cover the terminals, gates, curbside areas and parking garages. Nashville-based Gresham in 2007 conducted a broad wayfinding study for the airport; its recommendations in that study will guide the new sign upgrades.

Local architecture and engineering firm Gresham Smith has been chosen by the Tulsa Airport Authority to create a land use plan at Tulsa International Airport. The project will focus on both aeronautical- and non-aeronautical ideas and analyze the Tulsa area's infrastructure and target industries.

Local architecture and engineering firm Gresham Smith and Partners has been selected by Southwest Airlines and Los Angeles International Airport officials to study renovation options for LAX's Terminal 1, which was expanded to handle the 1984 Olympics. Gresham, which has played a big part in the overhaul of Nashville International Airport during the past decade, is currently working on about 20 airport projects around the country.

Chicago (Midway) (MDW) – from 8 daily flights to 7 Baltimore (BWI) – from 7 to 6 Orlando (MCO) – from 5 to 4 New Orleans (MSY) – from 3 to 2 Phoenix (PHX) – from 3 to 2 San Diego (SAN) – from 2 to 1 Providence (PVD) – from 1 to 0