Continental Air to Fire 1,000

Continental Airlines will lay off up to 1,000 pilots, flight attendants and other personnel as part of a fall cutback in service, the company’s chairman said today.

Frank Lorenzo, chairman of both Continental and its parent, Texas Air Corp., said the layoffs will be formally announced in the next few days as part of the carrier’s new fall schedule. Lorenzo, who testified at a federal court hearing on plans by Continental’s sister carrier, Eastern Airlines, to curtail service to 14 cities, said the retrenchment would include laying off between 300 and 500 pilots. Speaking to reporters after his court appearance, Lorenzo said the layoffs would involve 2% to 3% of the company’s 36,000 employees.