Flight and job cutbacks at Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines has announced a reduction in flight departures and up to 1000 job cuts in response to record oil prices and the slowing economy.  ┬á Starting in November, the Seattle-based airline will reduce its capacity by about 8 percent, eliminating some flights to popular destinations in California and Mexico and canceling low-demand flights.┬á┬á The airline lost $50 million in the first half of the year and said it needed to take "decisive action." The job cuts, representing about 10 percent of the workforce, will also begin in November and affect pilots, cabin crew, technicians and service staff. ┬á┬á "We are changing our schedule to make sure we're flying the right routes with the right frequency and right aircraft,ÔÇØ said Bill Ayer, chairman and CEO of Alaska Air Group. ÔÇ£Regrettably, a reduced schedule means we need fewer employees."┬á┬á Alaska said it is working with employees' unions to offer "early-out" programs and leaves of absence to minimize the number of involuntary job losses.┬á┬á The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), however, which represents AlaskaÔÇÖs 1,500 pilots, has criticized the timing of the move now that oil prices have started to fall. Capt. Bill Shivers, chairman of ALPA's Alaska Airlines unit, pointed out in a statement that in the last air travel crisis after 9/11 2001, the airline positioned itself to pick up the slack from others that were in trouble. ┬á┬á "We are concerned that ... Alaska Airlines will reduce its pilot ranks so severely that our management will create a situation in which our carrier will be unable to ... respond to opportunities to grow as other airlines cut routes and capacity," he said.┬á┬á Airlines and travel companies all over the world are struggling, with a major UK tour operator, XL Leisure Group, collapsing only last Friday, leaving thousands of customers stranded in their vacation destinations. ┬á┬á*┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á