Airlines talked a lot last year about all the jobs they were going to cut. But who really did lead the U.S. airline industry in reducing employment over the past year?
That's our question for this week, but we'll make it four questions:
1. Which airline cut the most jobs?
2. Which airline cut the most jobs, by percentage?
3. Which airline added the most jobs?
4. Which airline added the most jobs, by percentage?
We're limiting this to the 15 largest U.S. carriers. We're comparing November 2008 numbers to November 2007, the latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And we're not including carriers like ATA Airlines which went out of business during that 12 months.
Answers below.
Monday, January 19, 2009
AIG insured ditched US Airways' planehttp://usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-19-aig-usair-jet_N.htm
NEW YORK (Reuters) — American International Group said Friday it was the lead insurer on the US Airways passenger jet that went down in Manhattan's Hudson River on Thursday.
An AIG spokesman, John Jones, said he could not provide details on the value of the coverage, or the identity of other insurers on the program.
Large, commercial policies are typically shared by several insurers, and AIG, as the lead insurer in this case, may have the largest exposure.
The Airbus A320, which had been in service for nine years, took off from LaGuardia airport on Thursday with 150 passengers and five crew on board, and was headed for Charlotte when it ran into trouble. All passengers were rescued after the plane landed in the river between Manhattan and New Jersey.
An AIG spokesman, John Jones, said he could not provide details on the value of the coverage, or the identity of other insurers on the program.
Large, commercial policies are typically shared by several insurers, and AIG, as the lead insurer in this case, may have the largest exposure.
The Airbus A320, which had been in service for nine years, took off from LaGuardia airport on Thursday with 150 passengers and five crew on board, and was headed for Charlotte when it ran into trouble. All passengers were rescued after the plane landed in the river between Manhattan and New Jersey.
Airbus A350 development on track
TOULOUSE, France — As Airbus reaches a key milestone in the the development of its A350 XWB commercial jet program, a top executive at the company vowed Wednesday not to repeat the mistakes that marred the launch of the A380 superjumbo.
The company is on track to start delivery of the A350 in 2013, Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier told a news conference at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse. The aircraft is designed to compete with Boeing Co.'s 787.
Bregier, who is responsible for Airbus's day-to-day operations, said lessons have been learned from the management and communication failures on the A380 program, which compounded wiring difficulties and led to a two-year delay that wiped billions off profits.
"What for me is the most important is that we have changed the mindset of our people: They tell us the truth," he said Wednesday. "What we want is not that they tell us there is no problem."
"My job is very simple... to make sure there is nobody within Airbus who does not apply the rules. It gives me a big safety net that if there is a drift we will be able to fix it."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States World Trade Organization Toulouse Boeing Co. EADS CEO Louis Gallois
Didier Evrard, head of the A350 program, said Airbus is moving to a "new phase" in the development of the A350 XWB program after a key review was passed.
At the end of 2008, Airbus decided in an internal assessment that the A350-900 model is ready for a detailed definition freeze, which means the engineering focus shifts from the structure of the plane to parts design and the start of component production.
Airbus starts work on the final assembly line of the A350 XWB on Wednesday.
The A350 XWB will be available in three versions: the 270 seat A350-800, the 314-seat A350-900 — which will be the first model to enter production — and the 350-seat A350-1000.
The program was set back when Airbus had to redesign the plane after customers balked at an earlier version.
Airbus has 478 orders from 29 customers for the medium-capacity long-haul aircraft and may be hoping to take advantage of rival Boeing's problems with the 787.
Boeing last month announced a fifth set of delays for its long-haul 787 that will set back delivery for two years to 2010.
Bregier gave few details on how Airbus plans to finance the euro10 billion ($13.26 billion) A350 program. He said that the development costs have so far been funded by Airbus and some of its suppliers in a risk-sharing program.
"We are not in a hurry to find other ways despite the difficulties we know our customers will face in 2009," he said.
Airbus may also seek government aid to create a "level playing field" with Boeing, Bregier said.
Even though Airbus-parent EADS has cash reserves of euro9 billion, EADS CEO Louis Gallois said Tuesday that preserving that cash balance is a "top priority" as funding dries up in the credit crunch. Airline customers may need help with financing, which would drag on resources.
Airbus and Boeing are locked in a dispute over alleged large commercial aircraft subsidies and are awaiting a ruling by the World Trade Organization.
The U.S. and EU have accused each other of providing billions in illegal subsidies to the companies. The United States says EU subsidies have enabled Airbus to capture long-standing Boeing customers. The EU counters that Boeing receives U.S. federal and state tax breaks, development funding and grants, as well as large amounts of military contracts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-16-airbus-a350_N.htm
The company is on track to start delivery of the A350 in 2013, Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier told a news conference at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse. The aircraft is designed to compete with Boeing Co.'s 787.
Bregier, who is responsible for Airbus's day-to-day operations, said lessons have been learned from the management and communication failures on the A380 program, which compounded wiring difficulties and led to a two-year delay that wiped billions off profits.
"What for me is the most important is that we have changed the mindset of our people: They tell us the truth," he said Wednesday. "What we want is not that they tell us there is no problem."
"My job is very simple... to make sure there is nobody within Airbus who does not apply the rules. It gives me a big safety net that if there is a drift we will be able to fix it."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States World Trade Organization Toulouse Boeing Co. EADS CEO Louis Gallois
Didier Evrard, head of the A350 program, said Airbus is moving to a "new phase" in the development of the A350 XWB program after a key review was passed.
At the end of 2008, Airbus decided in an internal assessment that the A350-900 model is ready for a detailed definition freeze, which means the engineering focus shifts from the structure of the plane to parts design and the start of component production.
Airbus starts work on the final assembly line of the A350 XWB on Wednesday.
The A350 XWB will be available in three versions: the 270 seat A350-800, the 314-seat A350-900 — which will be the first model to enter production — and the 350-seat A350-1000.
The program was set back when Airbus had to redesign the plane after customers balked at an earlier version.
Airbus has 478 orders from 29 customers for the medium-capacity long-haul aircraft and may be hoping to take advantage of rival Boeing's problems with the 787.
Boeing last month announced a fifth set of delays for its long-haul 787 that will set back delivery for two years to 2010.
Bregier gave few details on how Airbus plans to finance the euro10 billion ($13.26 billion) A350 program. He said that the development costs have so far been funded by Airbus and some of its suppliers in a risk-sharing program.
"We are not in a hurry to find other ways despite the difficulties we know our customers will face in 2009," he said.
Airbus may also seek government aid to create a "level playing field" with Boeing, Bregier said.
Even though Airbus-parent EADS has cash reserves of euro9 billion, EADS CEO Louis Gallois said Tuesday that preserving that cash balance is a "top priority" as funding dries up in the credit crunch. Airline customers may need help with financing, which would drag on resources.
Airbus and Boeing are locked in a dispute over alleged large commercial aircraft subsidies and are awaiting a ruling by the World Trade Organization.
The U.S. and EU have accused each other of providing billions in illegal subsidies to the companies. The United States says EU subsidies have enabled Airbus to capture long-standing Boeing customers. The EU counters that Boeing receives U.S. federal and state tax breaks, development funding and grants, as well as large amounts of military contracts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-16-airbus-a350_N.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
