More American Airlines Flights Are Scratched

AMR Corp.’s American Airlines canceled 22% of its flights Monday in the third day of a slowdown by pilots protesting the integration of a newly acquired low-cost regional airline.

American, the world’s second-largest carrier, scratched 500 of its 2,250 flights because of higher-than-usual absenteeism among pilots, spokesman Tim Smith said. It canceled 240 of its flights Sunday, and 90 on Saturday. More flights may be dropped today, depending on how many pilots call in sick or decline overtime assignments.

Fort Worth-based AMR said it may seek a court injunction to end the protest, which began after talks with the 9,200-member Allied Pilots Assn. broke off Friday. The dispute follows AMR’s $124-million purchase of a controlling stake in Reno Air Inc. in December to help it expand on the West Coast. The pilots said the purchase violates their contract and may cause them to lose assignments and jobs to lower-paid Reno Air pilots.

Wall Street took note of the slowdown, as stock in AMR, American’s parent, fell $2.94 to close at $57 on the New York Stock Exchange, leading a sell-off in airline and other transportation stocks.

Federal law restricts strikes by airline pilots, but American’s union pilots have refused to work overtime.

AMR Chairman Don Carty said American was prepared to continue talks with the pilots and was “waiting for them to call.”

Union President Rich LaVoy told members in a phone message during the weekend that the company can’t force pilots to fly if they’re sick, and that low morale is a cause of the pilots’ absences.

AMR would be wasting its time asking for a judge to take action against the union because pilots calling in sick are acting as individuals, the union said. The airline wants to end the problem before the Presidents Day holiday weekend.

The cancellations affect both international and domestic flights.