PSA Signs Off, USAir Takes the Controls

The huge red letters marking Pacific Southwest Airlines corporate headquarters at Lindbergh Field came down Friday, and the smiles will soon be wiped off the tips of the last five PSA “Smileliners” remaining at the airport.

Smiles were also wiped off the faces of many longtime employees on the day before the airline--which began commercial flights in 1949--merged into the nationwide USAir system.

“It’s so sad,” said Ellen Ferreras, supervisor of the employee cafeteria and an 11-year PSA employee. “When they took the signs down, there were a few tears.

Grew Up With Airline

“I was born and raised in San Diego, and since I was a little girl I sort of grew up with the airline,” said Ferreras, who was wearing a blue “Farewell PSA” T-shirt. “The smile is just not going to be here anymore. PSA was a part of San Diego.”

“We’re going to miss the smile,” said Sue Smith as she loaded several shopping bags of belongings into her car.

Smith, who had spent three years with the airline’s accounting department, is among the 560 employees with PSA and Pacific Southwest Airmotive, an aircraft repair facility, who decided not to stay with USAir, according to USAir spokesman Dave Shipley. Of 6,100 employees at both firms, Shipley said, 5,540 remained with USAir.

Refused to Leave Sun

Smith and a friend, Brandy Dueitt, who had been with the accounting department two years, said they refused to leave the San Diego sunshine for transfers to Washington or North Carolina.

Among the many PSA employees welcoming the merger with the larger USAir was mechanic Robert Christian, a three-year veteran.

“This airline never left the time zone,” he said. “This . . . means we are going places. We are a real airline now. It was just a California airline before.”

Fliers Oblivious

In December, 1986, PSA’s parent company agreed to sell the airline to USAir for $400 million. The merger was completed last May.

“At least it’s not Chapter 11,” said mechanic George Anderson.

At the PSA ticket counter, where USAir’s maroon logo had not yet gone up Friday afternoon, some fliers were not even aware that they were among the last of PSA’s more than 170 million passengers over the years.

“I had no idea,” said Marta Ardila, who was bound for Los Angeles.

“Who cares?” asked frequent flier Ron Yee, who was heading to Novato, Calif. “It doesn’t make a difference. It’s service that counts. A name is a name.”