American Eagle to Lay Off 223 Pilots, Flight Attendants
December 15, 2011
American Eagle's Turboprops are Likely to Disappear
The effects of American Airlines’ bankruptcy are starting to unfold…
American Eagle (part of American Airlines and AMR) has told the Texas Workforce Commission that 119
pilots and 104
flight attendants are ‘likely’ to be laid off of their jobs by mid-February. These cuts are part of American that runs turboprop routes out of Dallas Ft. Worth Airport:
‘Eagle spokesman Ed Martelle said that as the company considers cost-cutting moves, “there is a strong possibility” that the turboprops used at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will be returned to the leasing company in late January.’
American CEO Thomas Horton informed employees today that more cuts are to follow because of the
bankruptcy although he did not give a specific figure:
“We will have to make very tough and sometimes unpopular decisions that will impact people’s lives,” Horton said.
Horton also claimed that American’s labor costs are higher than other
airlines and that the company must get those costs in line for it to survive.
That could very well mean layoffs in the thousands.