Revamps In Tulsa Allow Carrier To Work On More Aircraft
A complete
restructuring of operations at American Airlines' maintenance
facility in Tulsa, OK two years ago has reaped real benefits, the
Fort Worth, TX-based carrier said Thursday.
The Associated Press reports American says it has saved over
$500 million since the base was revamped, in order to streamline
operations and free up room for the facility to work on jets for
other carriers. That puts American on track to raise $175 million
this year, the airline says, through servicing non-AA planes in
Tulsa, Fort Worth, and Kansas City, MO.
"Our people not only found ways to get the job done, and done
right, they also simultaneously improved productivity and
efficiency," said AMR CEO Gerard Arpey during a Thursday ceremony,
according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The story of the Tulsa facility is an example of management and
labor hatching a mutually-beneficial deal. Two years ago, American
was strongly considering closing at least one of its maintenance
bases to cut costs. The airline reconsidered, however, and agreed
to a deal with the Transport Workers Union to improve efficiency in
Tulsa.
The goal of that agreement? $500 million in savings by the end
of 2006. The savings came, in part, through reducing the time it
takes to service an airliner, and get it back into service.
That's proven attractive to other carriers, as well, that have
chosen Tulsa to handle maintenance on their aircraft as well. While
American charges higher rates than shops overseas, American
Airlines Senior VP Technical Operations Bob Reding says it can also
return aircraft to service faster.
"It's a combination of the entire maintenance bill that we think
we can be competitive in on the world stage," he said.
Most of the maintenance-related revenue forecast for 2007 will
come from existing customers, the airline says. Some of those
carriers, like Miami Air, initially used American to handle light
maintenance work on its 737s. The carrier now uses AA to
handle overhauls, and refitting those planes with Blended
Winglets.
More work for the maintenance facilities also means more jobs,
Reding said. About 200 jobs were added in 2006, through new-hires
and recalling laid-off workers.
American is pushing for similar changes at its other maintenance
facilities, hoping for another $600 million in savings over two
years.