United to Hire Part-Timers in L.A., Chicago and Denver

United Airlines said it planned to hire more than 450 part-time employees in Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago by the end of September to handle increased passenger loads and other work.

United said it was hiring 100 ramp service workers in Los Angeles and about 250 in Chicago. Most of those workers are being rehired after losing their jobs over the last year.

The airline will add about 100 personnel at Denver International Airport this week and next.

United, which filed for bankruptcy protection in December, is filling seats at near-record levels in part because it has slashed seating capacity.

The airline has laid off tens of thousands of workers since its financial troubles began.

United’s parent, UAL Corp., told U.S. Bankruptcy Court that an uncertain industry outlook led it to abandon plans to exit early from bankruptcy protection, and it now aims to emerge in the first half of 2004.

Chief Executive Glenn Tilton and Chief Financial Officer Jake Brace had indicated recently that the airline might exit from Chapter 11 much earlier than the 18 months originally projected in December.

UAL bankruptcy attorney James Sprayregen said at a court hearing that the company would submit an updated business plan to the Air Transportation Stabilization Board, but gave no time frame. “It still remains to be seen whether the revenue recovery will be short- or long-lived,” he said.