Delta to Recall, Hire Attendants as Carrier Expands

Friday, August 20, 2010Aug. 20 (Bloomberg)

Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's largest carrier,said it will recall furloughed attendants and hire an undetermined number of new workers as it adds flights. The airline expects to begin training the attendants in January and havethem flying by mid-2011, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson toldemployees in a recorded message today.

He didn't say how many flight-attendant jobs the Atlanta- based carrier will fill.Delta is adding international flights as the economy recovers and businessesresume travel. The airline said Aug. 4 that its passenger traffic across thePacific Ocean rose 13 percent this year through July, while Latin Americantraffic increased 5.3 percent from the year-earlier period.

"We need lots of folks with language skills, given the extensive nature of our international network and the need to be able to communicate with passengers in their own language," Anderson said.

Airline labor agreements generally require furloughed employees be given achance to return before new workers are hired. Delta follows the same policy even though its flight attendants don't belong to a union. About 700 of theairline's flight attendants remain on furlough, said Gina Laughlin, acompany spokeswoman.The carrier is adding flights between London and its hubs at Detroit and Atlanta starting Oct. 31, and is expanding facilities at New York's Kennedyairport for international routes.

Airline Employment
Delta said last month it would fill 1,000 jobs at its 25 biggest U.S. airports to help with planes flying at near-record capacity and better cope with weather disruptions. Delta, with about 81,000 workers, has also announced plans to hire 240 pilots.

US Airways Group Inc., the smallest of the U.S. full-fare carriers, is recalling 300 employees, including 80 pilots and 220 flight attendants. Employment among all U.S. airlines fell 2.4 percent in June from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It was the 24th straight monthly decline.--Editors: James Langford, Steve Walsh