United to Cut 1,688 Jobs, Shut Offices

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines will eliminate 1,688 more jobs, closing 32 city ticket offices and firing 1,500 salaried and management employees.

The world’s second-biggest airline said it would close all remaining U.S. city ticket offices Jan. 28, laying off 188 workers in the process.

The ticket offices are in 14 regions, including New York and California.

United employs about 81,000 workers, about one-fourth of them in California, and is the biggest airline at the Los Angeles and San Francisco international airports.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, United slashed 20,000 jobs. An additional 3,600 layoffs, including pilots, flight attendants and machinists, is set to take place next week.

United is under pressure to meet financial objectives as part of its bankruptcy loans. It filed for bankruptcy protection Dec. 9 after failing to win a federal loan guarantee.

On Monday, in a recorded message to employees, United warned of additional significant layoffs as the bankruptcy process unfolds.

Shares of UAL closed 7 cents lower on the New York Stock Exchange to $1.30. In the late 1990s, they traded at more than $100 a share.