American Recalls First of Its Furloughed Pilots

American Airlines Inc. has called 11 pilots back to work, making them the first furloughed pilots to be recalled since layoffs began more than five years ago.

American spokeswoman Sue Gordon said the first group began training last week. Five were from the last group of pilots furloughed in April 2005, and six are more senior pilots who had volunteered to be furloughed.

To get the initial 11 pilots, American extended recall offers to about 80 furloughed pilots, Ms. Gordon said, with the others declining recall or deferring a decision.

Fort Worth-based American, the world's largest carrier, has told its pilots that it expects to recall about 10 pilots a month.

Ms. Gordon said the actual rate will depend on how many pilots leave.

"It's just going to depend on the rate of attrition," she said. "That's what we're expecting now, but it could increase or it could decrease."

American, which has more than 2,800 pilots on furlough, will average retirements of about two dozen active pilots a month this year as they reach their mandatory retirement age of 60.

In addition, the carrier must deal with a small number of resignations, early retirements and deaths.

The carrier has said it expects to reduce its capacity about 1 percent in 2007.

It plans to return 19 Boeing 757s to their owners as the aircrafts' leases expire, beginning this month.

American began furloughing its most junior pilots in October 2001, immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks devastated the airline industry, forcing cutbacks through the company.

American's parent, AMR Corp., employed 86,400 employees as of Sept. 30, down by nearly a third from the 128,300 on the payroll June 30, 2001.

"We're very glad to have the pilots who returned this month back on the property," Allied Pilots Association spokesman Gregg Overman said, "and we look forward to welcoming more returning pilots in the month ahead."

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