DALLAS (AP) - The CEO of American Airlines said the company expects
to hire 2,500 pilots over the next five years as it ramps up
international flights.
"The new American will be doing even more
international flying, providing greater opportunities for career
advancement and increased income for our people," AMR Corp. CEO Thomas
Horton said Wednesday in a letter to employees. AMR is American's parent
company.
American currently has about 8,000 active pilots.
Horton's letter was issued the same day that
American announced it would start new international routes next year.
American, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, seeks to
capitalize on growth in international travel, especially among high-fare
corporate travelers.
The airline wants to show that it can grow on its
own, while US Airways is pushing for a merger as the only way for both
to compete against larger rivals United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
While the airline plans to hire more pilots, it's
lost more staff than it wants to bring on. The company had 14,000 pilots
in early 2001 after buying TWA, according to Gregg Overman, a spokesman
for the pilots' union, the Allied Pilots Association.
"International routes are high-paying jobs, so
that's welcome," Overman said of Horton's promise of new jobs.
"Forecasts of growth are better than forecasts that the airline will
shrink, but (Horton's prediction) would just be making up a bit of that
lost ground" since 2001.
Overman said American has 650 pilots on furlough
who would be rehired first and 500 to 600 pilots who are expected to hit
the mandatory retirement age of 65 by 2020.
Here are some new international routes announced Wednesday that the company is banking on for growth.
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Lima, Peru, beginning April 2. American already flies between Miami and Lima.
- DFW to Seoul, beginning May 9.
- Chicago to Dusseldorf, Germany, starting April 11.
- New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Dublin, starting June 12.
AMR's chief commercial officer, Virasb Vahidi, said
the routes should appeal to business travelers and strengthen ties with
partner airlines such as Japan Airlines and British Airways.
American will also add domestic flights using
regional jets that are smaller than the planes typically operated by
American. Those routes, starting Feb. 14, will include:
- DFW and Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Columbia, Mo.
- DFW to Beaumont, Texas.
- DFW to Fargo, N.D. American currently flies to Fargo from O'Hare.
American said it would begin selling tickets for the new flights on Nov. 4.
