Struggling US Airways to Cut 1,000 Jobs

Struggling US Airways said on Wednesday it will cut some 1,000 jobs next year, shift nearly all of its flying to its three hubs and Washington, and suspend several international routes.

It's a major retrenchment, and Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said he hopes it gets the airline making money again.

US Airways Group Inc. said the job cuts will happen in the first half 2010 and will include 600 passenger and ramp service workers, 200 pilots, and about 150 flight attendants. The airline will close crew bases in Las Vegas and at LaGuardia airport in New York on Jan. 31, and in Boston on May 2.

It's also scaling back international flying. It is suspending flying between Philadelphia and London Gatwick; Birmingham, England; Milan, Italy; Shannon, Ireland; and Stockholm. US Airways is also formally giving up its government permission to fly between Philadelphia and Beijing, which it had never used.

The former USAir rebranded itself as US Airways in 1996. Beginning in 2004, it merged with America West Airlines, retaining the US Airways name but moving its headquarters to America West's Phoenix hub. The merger did help trim costs as planned, but the new airline had continued to struggle with fuel costs, regulatory issues, and low customer service ratings.