Continental Airlines Inc. will cut 3,000 jobs and slash its jet fleet by 18 percent, becoming the fourth big U.S. carrier to shrink operations as fuel costs soar. The carrier will trim its workforce by 6.6 percent and ground 67 of the 375 aircraft in its main jet fleet, on top of 6 planes it parked earlier.
United Airlines plans to remove a total 100 mainline aircraft, or about 25% of its entire fleet – including its 94-strong Boeing 737 fleet and six Boeing 747s – as part of a larger plan that will see the US major dramatically slash capacity, initiate layoffs, and eliminate its low-cost product Ted. Some 30 737s were previously earmarked for retirement. But soaring fuel prices have prompted United to pull down the remaining 737 fleet, its oldest and least efficient jets, provided the carrier can work out terms with certain lessors.
