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Jun 25, 2008 1:33 pm US/Central
American Airlines Details New Service Cutbacks
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News/AP) ―
American Airlines and its regional affiliate, American Eagle, have announced details of their 2008 fourth quarter capacity reductions.
The plans to cut back flights later this year will fall hardest on passengers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, St. Louis and New York.
The carrier plans to cut a total of 42 mainline and regional flights in Dallas, and 62 in Chicago. The cuts in Dallas include 19 American Airlines departures and 23 American Eagle flight reductions.
Flights in and out of St. Louis, once a major hub for American, will drop by 43, while New York's LaGuardia airport will lose 42 American flights. The cutbacks in St. Louis and New York primarily affect shorter regional flights.
In addition, American will quit flying altogether to Oakland, Calif.; London Stansted; Barranquilla, Colombia; Albany, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Samana, Dominican Republic; and San Luis Obispo, Calif.
All of the schedule changes and flight cutbacks will take effect in November.
American announced last month it will cut domestic capacity 11 percent to 12 percent, and Eagle will cut capacity 10 percent to 11 percent, compared with levels of late 2007. The company is trying to reduce costs in the face of fuel prices that have nearly doubled in the past year, surpassing labor as American's biggest expense.
On the American Airlines website the company said it regrets the potential impact schedule changes will have on customers.
Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard Arpey said last month that American will probably eliminate thousands of jobs as a result of fewer flights, but the company has not yet disclosed a precise figure.
The company is also reportedly in the process of determining how the November cuts will impact employees and says voluntary programs will be offered 'before moving to involuntary separations'.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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