Sep. 18--Northwest Airlines Corp., which struggled with pilot staffing levels over the summer, said Monday that it will hire up to 5,000 workers this year.
That number does not include 350 new pilots the company said it would hire after it canceled thousands of flights in June and July due to inadequate staffing. Northwest said it already has filled 3,600 of the 5,000 positions, which include flight attendants, customer service and reservation agents, ground workers and baggage handlers.
Northwest spokesman Roman Blahoski said the hiring is due to the company's growth and attrition levels and is not related to the company's bankruptcy restructuring.
"We're hiring for positions across the system, including Detroit and Michigan," he said.
He declined to say how many employees already had been hired in Michigan or how many the airline plans to hire in the state, adding that those figures were not immediately available.
Northwest also is opening a new reservations center in Sioux City, Iowa, that will employ 300 people.
The airline now has 31,000 employees, up from 30,008 as of March 31. Chief Executive Doug Steenland cut the workforce by 22% during the airline's 22 months in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which ended May 31.
Metro Airport's largest carrier also announced Monday several management changes, which include the promotion or appointment of 16 executives and the resignation of Suzanne Boda, the company's vice president of inflight services. The changes will be effective Oct. 1.
"These management changes will better position us to realize these goals and capitalize on the skills and expertise of our leadership team," Steenland said in a statement Monday.
Minneapolis-based airline watchdog Terry Trippler said management changes were needed.
"They needed to adjust things," Trippler said. "They have the company down to fighting weight, and they need the management to match."
Air Line Pilots Association spokesman Monty Montgomery said he hopes the new executive team focuses on fixing problems with employees and customers.
"We don't see this as a dramatic change," Montgomery said. "They're tweaking the management team a little bit. The main thing for us is that whoever takes these positions needs to restore faith and confidence in employees and, ultimately, our customers."
The company ignited frustration among passengers over the summer when it scrapped more than 4,000 flights over a two-month period.
Northwest blamed the cancellations on pilot absenteeism, while pilots attributed the problem to crew shortages and an exhausted workforce.
Contact MARGARITA BAUZA at [email protected] Bloomberg contributed to this report.
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