Sky Talk

New Eagle flights added

American Eagle announced it will add three new flights on November 19. The city pairs the Fort Worth-based regional carrier announced are:

Dallas-Fort Worth to Santa Fe (which is a second flight on this route.)

Charleston, S.C. to Miami (new service)

Knoxville, Tenn. to Miami. (new service)

The full release is here.

-Andrea Ahles

Eagle slashing management ranks

Following up on our weekend story about 75 pilot furloughs at American Eagle, we've been informed that the regional airline is also cutting 45 management positions. That's in addition to 30 management jobs that were cut in the airline's 2009 budget.

- Trebor Banstetter

American Eagle to furlough 75 pilots

American Eagle told union officials that 75 pilots will be laid off in coming months. We have a story on the furloughs here at Star-Telegram.com.

- Trebor Banstetter

AA to fly to six new cities from D/FW

American Airlines is launching nonstop service to six new cities from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, bucking a trend as the airline industry contracts nationwide. All of the new cities will be served on small regional jets operated by American Eagle, the airline's regional subsidiary.

The new cities are Santa Fe, N.M.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Montgomery, Ala.; Brownsville, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Manhattan, Kan. The flights will begin in June 11, except for Manhattan, Kan., which launches on Aug. 25. "Connecting Dallas/Fort Worth to small and medium-sized cities is one of Eagle's key missions," said Peter Bowler, Eagle's chief executive.

Most major airlines, including American, have been reducing their schedules and cutting flights as the turgid economy slows demand for travel. But the new Eagle flights will pump more passengers into American's hub at D/FW, making it easier for the airline to fill flights to large cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as international destinations.

Shares of AMR Corp., American's Fort Worth-based parent company (ticker: AMR), rose 27 cents in trading Monday to close at $3.17 per share.

- Trebor Banstetter

Eagle flying from D/FW to Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico will see the return of commercial jets at the city's airport after decades of being without scheduled airline service. American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will begin flying from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport to Santa Fe Municipal Airport on June 11.

The airline will fly the route on 44-seat Embraer jets.

“This is terrific news for residents and businesses alike,” said U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, in a prepared statement. “Now our state’s capital will be more easily accessible, making travel more convenient and creating economic opportunities.”

For years, the airport only allowed chartered flights because of a classification by the Federal Aviation Administration that prohibited scheduled service on any plane with more than 30 seats. But in February the FAA approved regional jet service at the airport.

- Trebor Banstetter

American dropping Love Field service, for now

American Airlines is suspending its service at Dallas Love Field airport, but vowed to return in the future.
American offers just one destination from Love - a flight to Chicago operated by American Eagle, the carrier's regional affiliate. That service will end on June 11, airline officials said.

- Trebor Banstetter

Eagle pilots warned on Mexican violence

The Air Line Pilots Association has warned American Eagle pilots flying to Mexico to exercise "extreme vigilance," especially in border towns.

"Eagle crew members have already witnessed some of the violence in Chihuahua and just yesterday, there were reports of more extreme violence in Guadalajara," the union warned in an email to pilots. "We have engaged management on the security issues and are in discussions about whether we can continue to service some of these cities without the need to overnight flight crews.  We are also reviewing and proposing other security measures."

ALPA officials recommend that pilots staying overnight remain inside airport terminals until they have positive identification for hotel transportation. And they warn pilots not use "do not distub" signs on their doors, "as it is a clear sign of occupancy in case of unrest at the hotel."

Eagle, which is based in Fort Worth, has many flights to Mexico, including nonstops from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

- Trebor Banstetter

TWU, Eagle to begin negotiations "super session"

American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, begins an intense five-day negotiations session with the Transport Workers Union today to try to hammer out a new contract for fleet service workers, mechanics and technicians. If no deal is reached, both sides will apply for mediation from the National Mediation Board.

Sound familiar? The TWU held a similar "super session" with American Airlines for thousands of ground workers late last year. No contract resulted from that attempt, and the two sides are now in mediation. Pilots and flight attendants also have mediators overseeing contract talks.

Eagle's contract with the ground workers opened for changes in October 2007. The negotiations will be held at American's Flagship University in Fort Worth.

“We are very serious about getting a tentative agreement,” said TWU’s Air Transport Division Director John Conley in a prepared statement. “Union negotiators are well aware of the competitive realities that Eagle faces as well as the general state of the economy.  We also know that many economists are predicting that 2009 will be a great year for airlines with fuel prices down and other costs contained. It’s in both of our best interests to lock in a fair contract now.”

UPDATE, 1:30 P.M.

Here's a statement from American spokeswoman Andrea Huguley:

I can confirm that we are continuing to meet with the TWU this week. We are committed to reaching an agreement that benefits both our employees and the company. Mediation is certainly a tool that we might use and would consider using at the appropriate time. Since we are in discussions right now, I am not able to confirm that we have an agreement on jointly filing for mediation.

- Trebor Banstetter

Smoke in the cockpit forces Eagle plane to land

An American Eagle plane flying from D/FW to Killeen was forced to land after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. Here's the report from the Associated Press:

An American Eagle plane bound from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Killeen landed safely after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.

John Sutton with Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport says nobody was injured and there apparently was no fire during Monday afternoon’s incident. Sutton says Flight 3505 carried approximately 50 passengers, plus crewmembers.

He says an in-flight emergency was declared, but the smoke dissipated shortly before the plane landed in Killeen. Those on board deplaned as normal. Sutton says mechanics for American Airlines were examining the plane.

Fort Worth-based American did not immediately return a call for comment to The Associated Press.

- Trebor Banstetter

Eagle flights crew homeless in New York

For months, pilots at American Eagle have been complaining about the condition of the crew room at LaGuardia Airport in New York. But the situation apparently took a turn for the worse recently. Here's what Tony Gutierrez, an Eagle captain and union official, said in a letter to Eagle president Peter Bowler earlier this month:

"As significant as these problems are, they pale in comparison with the critical situation that has developed at LGA. This Thursday we were evicted from our crew room to make way for AA ops even though construction on our new crew room has not yet begun. To be perfectly clear, there is currently NO LGA CREW ROOM! More than 150 of your pilots and flight attendants have no place of their own to update manuals and charts, store flight bags, sign in for work, or relax between flights out of the eye of our customers. A crew room is an essential requirement for your crewmembers to perform their job. The company's failure to provide one is inexcusable!"

Adding insult to injury, Gutierrez said, after the pilots and attendants were kicked out of the room to make way for operations employees, "the facilities folks repainted the room multiple times and installed custom cabinets and counters, a satellite television and new furniture. This was all in plain view of Eagle pilots ... this was after many years of complaints by our pilots over how run-down, dirty and cluttered the Eagle pilot crew room was."

- Trebor Banstetter