Northwest, United among airlines looking to cut jobs, flights

(Minneapolis-AP) -- Northwest Airlines and United Airlines have joined the list of hard-hit carriers planning to lay off workers and trim flights.<br><br>The layoffs come as airlines continue to grapple

Saturday, March 22nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Minneapolis-AP) -- Northwest Airlines and United Airlines have joined the list of hard-hit carriers planning to lay off workers and trim flights.

The layoffs come as airlines continue to grapple with the poor economy and the war in Iraq.

Northwest announced plans yesterday to cut 4-thousand-900 jobs and reduce its flight schedule by 12 percent. United Airlines said it will trim its schedule by about eight percent and lay off an undetermined number of workers.

Earlier this week, Continental Airlines said it will cut its work force by about twelve-hundred people by the end of the year to save 500 (M) million dollars. More layoffs are planned if war with Iraq is prolonged and air travel remains soft.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines, the world's Number One carrier, said Thursday it will cut international flights by six percent in April to meet a downturn in travel bookings due to the war in Iraq. American says it could make additional reductions if traffic remains slow.

Northwest, which also plans to idle 20 planes, has already had laid off about 12-thousand employees due to the slump in the airline industry.