Click Here to watch a message from Midwest CEO Tim Heoksema to the staff.

Midwest Airlines confirms it's planning to ground its fleet of MD-80s and will likely further reduce staff in the coming months.

Midwest spokesman Michael Brophy says the MD-80, "is a very fuel inefficient airplane and at the cost of fuel today it's just become economically infeasible to operate these planes."

Midwest owns 12 MD-80s and 25 717s.  It's not yet clear what will happen to the routes the MD-80's currently fly.  Brophy says some may have to make connections, rather than being direct flights others might go away.  However, the airline isn't ready yet to announce specifics.

"It would affect a large number of our pilots," Air Line Pilots Association Vice Chairman Greg Uselmann told Newsradio 620 WTMJ.  "Probably over 25% of our remaining crew members."

In addition, it appears flight attendants and other staff will also lose their jobs.

The problems are not unique to Midwest.  Many airlines have been grounding older planes in their fleet and cutting routes.