Airline carriers to cut 1,080 jobs

Discount carrier AirTran Airways said Monday that it was cutting 480 jobs, or more than 5% of its workforce, amid difficult financial times caused largely by soaring fuel prices.

The Orlando, Fla., airline told its 8,900 employees that 180 pilot jobs and 300 flight attendant jobs would be eliminated Sept. 6, said Kevin Healy, an AirTran senior vice president. Flights also will be reduced in September, he said.

Separately, in Denver, the top two carriers at Denver International Airport have told state labor officials that they are laying off a total of about 600 people.

Frontier Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, notified the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment that it intended to lay off 456 employees beginning Sept. 1.

United Airlines sent two letters to the state saying 50 customer service representatives and 100 workers classified as “ramp servicemen” in Denver would be laid off beginning this week.