American Air to recall nearly 800 workers

On Wednesday October 6, 2010, 8:59 am EDT
CHICAGO (Reuters) -

AMR Corp (NYSE:AMR - News), parent of American Airlines, said on Wednesday it will recall 545 flight attendants and 250 pilots to handle network expansion on international routes.

The company said its partnership with British Airways Plc (LSE:BAY.L - News) and Spain's Iberia (MCE:IBLA.MC - News), which begins on Wednesday, has created new opportunities. AMR also noted its pending alliance with Japan Airlines Corp (Other OTC:JALFQ.PK - News).
"This is exactly the kind of growth we're hoping to achieve with our network strategy, and my hope is that trends like this will continue," AMR Chief Executive Gerard Arpey said in a statement.

The company said the first group of 25 pilots will be recalled in mid-November. More will be recalled at a rate of about 30 per month.

Flight attendant recall notices will be issued to about 225 flight attendants in October, with more notices following.

The U.S. airline industry has been battered in recent years by an economic downturn that drained travel demand. Top carriers, including American Airlines, slashed capacity to match their supply with demand.

Demand has since begun to rebound.
(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)