United Airlines to increase daily flights from O'Hare by 15 percent, will recall workers

<br>CHICAGO (AP) _ United Airlines announced Tuesday that it is increasing the number of daily flights from O'Hare International Airport by 15 percent and will recall hundreds of furloughed employees

Tuesday, March 12th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CHICAGO (AP) _ United Airlines announced Tuesday that it is increasing the number of daily flights from O'Hare International Airport by 15 percent and will recall hundreds of furloughed employees to make it happen.

The carrier also cut fares and eliminated a Saturday-night-stay requirement to help recapture business lost from corporate travelers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The airline expects to redirect dozen of jets from other markets to accommodate the increase in flights from O'Hare.

The new schedule is expected to start June 7.

United could not say how much it will spend on rebuilding at its Chicago hub.

Chris Bowers, United's senior vice president of marketing and sales, said United would also cut ticket prices for all markets by up to 50 percent.

After the September attacks, United slashed capacity by 23 percent and laid off 20,000 employees. It now plans to increase the number of daily flights from O'Hare from 537 to 614.

The expansion means that hundreds of the airline's customer-contact employees, ramp workers and mechanics who have been laid off in Chicago and around the country will be recalled.