Thread: As Expected, US Air Starts to Consolidate, Shift Jobs to DFW

Built less than six years ago, a state-of-the-art flight operations control center in PIT will be closing and the work transferred to Texas, a casualty in the American Airlines-US Airways merger.

American Airlines announced Friday that it intends to consolidate flight operations in DFW over the next 18 months, costing the region a facility built specifically for the needs of US Airways and the 600 jobs that go with it.

"It's pretty sad for the people that have been here for a long time," said Danny Persuit, president of Transport Workers Union Local 545, which represents 164 employees at the center.

In a separate action, American also plans to transfer 53 mechanics out of PIT in what it said was an annual maintenance "rebalancing" unrelated to the merger.

American said that flight operations employees who want to transfer to Dallas will be guaranteed jobs. Those who do not will be offered severance packages, airline spokesman Todd Lehmacher said.
In a letter delivered to employees Friday, Tim Campbell, American's senior vice president of air operations, said he expects to complete the transfer within 18 months. Some support employees may relocate before the end of the year, but the majority will move after that. American has its own operations control center in DFW.