| Updated: 3/19 5:22 pm |
Published: 3/19 4:13 pm
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The US Airways merger with American Airlines hit turbulence on Tuesday.
Senators made it clear they are not yet sold on the marriage of companies yet. CEOs from US Airways and American faced skeptical senators at an anti-trust hearing in Washington, D.C.
The main concern was job loss across the country, including Tulsa. Some senators even demanded the executives promise not to cut flights or fire people.
No one specifically asked about the Tulsa maintenance facility in the hearing, so FOX23 did in an exclusive interview with US Airways CEO Doug Parker, “we’re keeping all the airplanes, so we're gonna need to maintain all those airplanes. Certainly at this point we don't have any intention of doing any changes to the maintenance bases,” said Parker.
A consumer expert at the hearing did not seem convinced, “Assurances from the airlines should be regarded with skepticism if they run counter to the airlines profit-making business incentives,” said William McGee with the Consumers Union.
The Tulsa plant is American Airlines largest maintenance facility. American Airlines is the largest private employers in Tulsa. Parker says the merger will be nothing but beneficial for employees, “This transaction represents a brighter future for our 100,000 employees.
Before the merger can take place the Justice Department and FAA must approve it, something industry experts think is likely.
