American To Move More Work To Tulsa

Tulsa's top employer America Airlines is re-routing workloads and The Kansas City Star reports hundreds of American Airlines jobs in that city are in jeopardy. But that dark cloud could have a silver lining in Tulsa.

The News On 6's Ashli Sims reports a blow for Kansas City could mean a windfall of new work in Tulsa. But some are wondering will the good news last or are cuts in Green Country just in a holding pattern.

"It's a kick in the stomach. It's a kick in the stomach, thanks we get for it," said Rick Rogers of Kansas City.

They're not so friendly skies for American Airlines workers in Kansas City. Workers at the Missouri overhaul base say they've been notified that 1,300 union jobs and 200 management jobs company-wide are on the line. And the cuts could slash as many as 600 jobs in Kansas City.          

But their loss could be Tulsa's gain.

Several Missouri media outlets have obtained an internal memo that work on American's Boeing 757's and work on some of the 767's could be leaving Kansas City and heading to Tulsa.

It's the second time in a month Tulsa has picked up more work. They snagged the maintenance on the airline's 777 airplane from the Fort Worth base last month.

Kansas City's base is American's smallest, inherited when the company bought out TWA in 2001.

Workers there say the city pledged the airline money and they took benefits cuts to keep their jobs, but it seems many will end up with pink slips.

"Here I am 57-years-old, starting over," said Rogers.

Some Kansas City workers reportedly will be offered early retirement and some could be eligible for transfers to Tulsa. But again, the cuts may not end with them.

American Airlines did announce plans to trim more than a thousand mechanics. So even if 600 mechanics lose their jobs in Kansas City, hundreds could still face layoffs.

Related story:

7/10/2008  American Airlines Gets New Hangar