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Show c2 The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH/THE WEST Tuesday, February i9, 20 Southwest Airlines Plans to Hire 4,000 This Year Utah maybe included in company’s growth since the terrorist attacks. But the hiring plans are Southwest's strongest indication thatit believes it can regain its previous double-digit growth. Southwest, which has 33,000 em ployees, says it plans to hire 250 pilots, TRIBUNE STAFF and WIRE SERVICES 1,200 flight attendants and 2,600 other DALLAS Southwest Airlines, which bucked thetrend oflayoffs and flight reductions after Sept. 11, plans to hire about 4,000 workers this year a number that may include somein Utah The help-wanted sign at Southwest contrasts with personnel plans at other airlines. A few arecalling back some of the workersthey laid off last fall. None is talking about creating new jobs Dallas-based Southwest is the only major U.S. airline still making money The largest carriers, American and United, lost $3.8 billion between them last year. Southwest, however, was not im: mune to the slowdown in business travel that started in 2001 or the steep declinein travelafter theterrorist at tacksof Sept. 11. It put growth plans on hold anddelayedaircraft orders. In December, Southwest an nounced it would take two newBoeing 737s thefirst additions toits fleet workers. Officials said that would match the hiring pacethe airline had expected last year. “There is a good possibility that Salt Lake Citywill see some ofthat job growth,” Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Brewersaid. “The hiring will take place companywide.” Southwest employs 950 Utahns. Of “| Southwest] tends to have some of the lowest costs in the industry. So in times of depressed business, they can make moneywhileothers are losing money.” MICHAEL LINENBERG Merill Lynch analyst that number, 750 work in a company reservation center in Salt Lake City. The rest work at Salt Lake City International Airport. Last year, passenger traffic at Salt Lake International fell 4.95 percent but Southwest saw percentincrease for the year. In contrast, Delta Air Lines traffic fell morethan13 percent. U.S. airlines announced about 100,000layoffs after Sept. 11. The ac tual numberof layoffs was closer to 80,000 because some workers took early retirement or left voluntarily, according to the Air Transport Asso- ciation, an industry tradegroup. Very few of those workers have been recalled, and Southwest believes it can choose from experienced applicants. “We've been seeinga lot of people whowanta secondcareer, and we're seeing more furloughed flight attendants and pilots,” said Lorraine Merrill Lynch analyst Michael Linenberg said Southwest's ability to January compared to a year earlier, avoid layoffs last fall has probably percent and Houston-based Continental dipped 9.5 percent. raised employee loyalty and improved its productivity alreadyconsidered the strongest among majorcarriers. “They tend to have some of the lowest costs in the industry,” Linenberg said. “So in times of depressed business, they can make moneywhile others are losing money.” The major U.S. carriers lost more than $6 billion last year. Linenberg said the industry would finally post a profit of $270 million in the third quarter, with Southwest accounting for 70 percentof the gain. Ray Neidl, an analyst with ABN Amro, said Southwest will probably resumeits historical trend of 10 percent to 12 percent growth by thesecond half of the year. “They're not really an airline,” Grubbs-West, the airline’s director of field employment Ron Jackson, a former United Airlinesflight attendant andelectrician Neidl said — meaning they don't operate the hub-and-spoke networksthat who joined Southwest last year, said low-fareofferings, often at secondary airports. Majorcarriers have reported slow gains in passengers since September, due partly to aggressivefare sales. But the carrier's stability wasa factor. “Weare always madeto feel comfortable that we are going to keep our jobs,” said Jackson, of Orlando,Fla. “I can’t say I was ever worried about that.” all other large carriers use. He said demand is growing for Southwest's traffic still lags year-ago levels — Southwest was dewn 4.9 percent in Fort Worth-based American fell 15.6 As a whole, the major carriers cut about one-seventh of their flights, which led to the widespread layoffs. Very fewof the laid-off workers have beenrehired. American Airlines fired about 11,000 workers and has recalled 3,100, said spokeswoman Andrea Rader. Hiring notices will go out April 1 te another400 flight attendants, she said. American chief executive Donald Carty “has told the employees that this is a rebuilding year,” with the goal of rehiring manylaid-off workers, Rader said. AMRlost a record $798 million in the fourth quarter and $1.76 billionfor all of 2001 United Airlineslost $2.1 billion last year and has cut about 19,000 jobs. Officials for the airline did not return phonecalls. Northwest Airlines cut 10,000 positions in October. Theairline laid off 490 pilots instead of the originally announced 850but has noplans for additional hiring, a spokesman said. A Delta spokesman said the com- pany had no announcements about jobs. Continental did not return phone calls. Hatch Targets Terrorists With Proposal to Restrict Access to Explosives BY DAWN HOUSE ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Hoping to thwart terrorists, legi ion seems like a good idea,” said the Taylorsville Republican. “I see a difference between gun control and ex- Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch is cosponsoringabill that wouldre. plosives control.” quire people to obtain federal permits and undergo calls for two types of permits ground checksbefore they can get explosives. “This legislation will greatly enhance our ability to keep these inherently dangerous The Kohl-Hatch measure for intrastate purchasersof explosives i user permits and limited-user permits. The user permitlasts for three years and allows unlimited explosives purchases. The limited-user permit also expires after three years, but allows for six purchasesper year. Both permits would impose ortheft of explosives. Thebill, however, would not subject the limited user to the recordkeeping requirements currently required for full permit holders, said Hatch. buying or possessing explosives. Current federal explo- dishonorably discharged from U.S. military forces and for- ple from purchasing or pos- eigners with temporaryvisas. Several of the Sept. 11 ter- sives law prohibits certain peo- sessing explosives, similar to those prohibited by federal firearm law, such as convicted background checks, monitor- In addition to creating the permit system, the measure ing of explosives purchases, se- would expand the classes of felons. The Safe Explosives Act would extend those prohibi people who are barred from tions cure storage and report of sale to individuals rorists were in the United States on temporaryvisas, said Hatch. So-called sleeper terrorist cells madeup of visa holders have been operating within U.S. borders for many years. materials out of the hands of terrorists and others who seek to do harm,” said Hatch Added Sen. Herb Kohl, D- Wis., a co-sponsor: “Most Americanswould be stunned to learn that in some states, it is easier to get enough explosives to take downahousethanit is to buy a gun, get a driver license, or even obtain a fishing Explosives ll purchases Act of explosives. Ourrent law requires permits only for interstate purchases. Convictedfel ons already are barred from purchasing explosives, and the bill would extend that prohibi- tion to foreigners in the United States on a temporary visa. Rob Bishop,lobbyist for the Utah Shooting Sports Council, said the board has not taken a position on the bill, but he is concerned that the measure could place restrictions on farmers or antique weapons enthusiasts. The bill would not affect those who use black powder or small arms ammunition for recreation. But it does impose requirements for anyone who manufactures or imports ammonium nitrate, an ingredient in fertilizer used in the truck bomb that leveled most of the nine-story OklahomaCity fed eral building in April 1995. State Sen. Michael Wad doups, R-Taylorsville, an ardent opponent of gun control, said he does not believe the Second Amendment right to own firearm extends to pos. sessing explosives. “At first blush, the ‘Bigfoot’ Expert Krantz Dies at 70 ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRE PORT ANGELES, Wash. Oneof Bigfoot's most passion atebelievers has died. expert Grover who advocated kill ing a Sasquatch to prove the creature exists died of pan. creatic cancer at his home Thursday. He was 70. Krantz, a professor ofanthropology at Washington State University for 30 years until his 1998 retirement, didn't shy from controversy as a Millions of women: around the world need vital Sasquatch expert. Some say his stance on the creature a sort of Northwest version of the “abominable snowman,” or Yeti, of the Himalayas hurt his career. Born in Salt Lake City, reproductiv You can make a difference Krantz grew up there and in Rockford,Ill. He served in the Air Force from June 1951 to 1952 in Salt Lake City and Clovis, N.M., before he was dis charged from active dutyas an airman, Heattended the University of Utah for two years, but earned his bachelor’s and master's degrees from University of California at Berkeley. intz enjoyed research and collecting animal skeletons and skulls. Planned Parenthood" Association of Utah A Responsible Choicefor a Healthier Life. www.plannedparenthood.org/globai t - |