American Airlines told workers on Friday that it plans to close the US Airways flight operations center near Pittsburgh's airport.
About 600 workers will be affected by the closure and will be offered positions in Fort Worth if they want to relocate. It will take about 18 months to Make a transition to American's operations center near its headquarters on Amon Carter Boulevard south of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, the airline said.
"Consolidating our two operations centers into one team, adjacent to our primary flight training center and our corporate headquarters, is the right decision for our business and our customers and a necessary step on our mission to make the new American the world's best airline," Tim Campbell, American's senior vice president of air operations, said in a letter sent to employees Friday.
American, which merged with US Airways in December, also employs about 600 workers at its facility. They keep track of the day-by-day, minute-by-minute operations of the carrier's planes, crews and airport facilities. US Airways opened its operations center in Pittsburgh in 2008.
As the airlines combine, the company expects some staffing overlap but hopes workforce reductions will be "accomplished through voluntary attrition," American said to workers.
American and US Airways, which merged in December, will report fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday. The company has said it will take 18 to 24 months for the airlines to receive a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Andrea Ahles, 817-390-7631 Twitter: @Sky_Talk
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