American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, Texas, the United States, says it is planning to lay off up to 410 flight attendants on April 1, 2009, “unless the carrier can get, by March 6, 2009, sufficient number of volunteers to take leaves, early departures or other steps to reduce their ranks.”
The media quoted a spokeswoman of American Airlines as saying that “the potential furloughs are the result of less attrition than usual” and that “furloughs would be based on reverse seniority.”
She added that the airline expecting to get adequate number of volunteers by January 2009 to prevent layoffs, but owing to the economic depression, American Airlines did not get the normal requests for short-term leaves, retirements or resignations.
More and more people, according to American Airlines, are opting to remain employed longer rather than start their retirement.
American Airlines has 17,200 active flight attendants, including 88 flight attendants based at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, the United States.
The spokeswoman, however, said flight attendants based at Raleigh-Durham International Airport were unlikely to be affected by the furloughs, or a temporary leave of absence, that American Airlines plans for April.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants had told its members a week ago that it learned of the imminent layoffs from Lauri Curtis, American Airlines’ vice-president of flight service.
American Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of the AMR Corporation, had offered leaves of absence and travel privileges for those quitting as well as job-sharing arrangements. The airline said it was resorting to furloughs as a part of its efforts to cope with the global economic recession.
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