Fort Worth-based American Airlines plans to add 700 flight attendants to its Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport hub, an airline spokeswoman confirmed.
The reason goes back to the airline’s merger with US Airways in 2013: American Airlines flight attendants could only fly on original American Airlines planes, not US Airways.
That changed when American integrated their system for flight attendants last October.
Now, it’s more efficient to schedule flight attendants out of the bases they’re originating from, according to American Airlines spokeswoman Susannah Wesley-Ahlschwede.
Part of the plan is to gradually move about a third of American Airlines’ flight attendants at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to other hubs, including DFW.
Flight attendant staffing at two @AmericanAir bases will be reduced soon. Phoenix will be reduced by over 700 flight attendants and St. Louis will see 75 less flight attendants. pic.twitter.com/7JbQzmqxLk
— Jamie Larounis (@TheForwardCabin) February 13, 2019
Wesley-Ahlschwede says vacancies for DFW will be posted, but it won’t happen all at once.
“We have a need for 700 more flight attendants in Dallas. At this point, we’re just asking for volunteers,” she said.
The airline hopes to hit almost 900 peak, daily departures from DFW by this summer.