VOLUME 45 NUMBER 5 MARCH 1, 1982 Pay Tribute to JFK's Chris Durr Business File for:DFW,MSY The report in the February 15 Skyliner as Usual? that TWA was postponin·g the start of service at Dallas/Ft. Worth and New (Cont'd) .· Orleans was premature. "DFW and MSY are still on the front burner," says Lured by "the challenge," ~second scheduling v.p. Tom Lagow. He indi­ airline presi4ent has- left a fast-growing cated that TWA's applications stand smaller airline to see what can be done and that the airline hopes to inaugurate about putting Pan Am together again. Last service as planned, on April 25. August, Pan Am tapped Air Florida's top exec, C. Edward Acker, to be chairman and The collapse of Laker Airways may help chief executive officer. Now the president ease the capacity glut over - ~he North of People Express, Gerald Gitner, has gone Atlantic, but it's also going to make it over to Pan Am as senior v.p.-marketing harder for other airlines to find a frien~ at and planning. Gitner, 36, headed PE since the Chase, or any other bank. In fact, one it was founded two years ago by a group of banker went so far as · to say the Laker former Texas International executives. He situation "in and of itself really isn't going was senior v. p. of marketing and planning to make much difference. There certainly for TI from 197 4 to 1980. Prior to that he were plenty of caution flags and warning was with TWA. lights already." Donald C. Barr, chairman and chief Cash attrition is placing severe pressure executive officer of People Express, will on. half the airlines, "and that cannot assume Gitner's duties. continue indefinitely," says the head of the It happened to Laker and it could happen airline division of Bankers Trust Company, Several hundred friends from all over the world came to the gala retirement party to ~raniff, says that. airline's president, John Bliven. "If 50% of the major carriers January 29 for Chris durr (right), manager-passenger and airport relations, JFK. Howard Putnam. In the wake of Laker's get in trouble; we've got a serious national He's pictured with one of them, A. B. "Bud" Kru_eger, general manager-Portugal. problem on our hands," he warns. Chris, who'd been with TWA for 40 years, received many tributes. "More than collapse, Putnam predicted that, "What's anything else, I always think of you as a person who cares about people ... '' said Jack going to happen is ~hat you will have fewer Ryan, senior vice president-personnel & administration. And a frequent passenger, airlines flying. And the· airlines probably ALPA Contract John Cardinal Krol, archbishop of Philadelphia, noted that for more than 20 years he won't make that decision as much as the traveled to Europe frequently, whenever possible on TWA. "You, Mr. Chris Durr, lenders will." He added: "If, by this Is Ratified were the principal reason for my choice of TWA.'' - summer, we [Braniff] don't generate traf­ The Airline Pilots Association Master Ex­ fic , we won't be able to continue." Unlike ecutive Council, representing TWA pilots, FICA Tax on Sick Pay some others, Putnam does not tJSe deregl!­ has ratified the tentative contract agree­ Company paid sick leave is now subject to TWA Warrant-Holders: lation as the scapegoat. ''History will show ment reached with the company Feb. 4. FICA (Social Security) taxes of 6. 7%. The The TWA employee stock warrants ; that deregulation is not at fault for the The new contract is in effect from new law went into effect January 1, 1982. issued in May 1977 will expire on May airlines' ailments. What history will show October 1, 1981 through December 31 , Sick leave pay was previously exempt from 3. The February 15 Sky liner gave is · that regulation was the cause." The 1983, and contains a pay pause from the such taxes. information on the available options. comments were made in aNew York Times date of commencement through all of "While companies do have six mon_ths Unfortunately, the address for the war­ · interview. 1982. to adjust complex computer programs,'' rant agent was incorrect. Communica­ Britain's Civil Aviation Authority has Commenting on the agreement, Presi­ notes Eleanor Tarson, manager-payroll, tions should be sent to the attention suspended Laker Airways' operating li­ dent Meyer said, "The new ALPA contract ~'any deductions not made during the of Mel McLean, Morgan Guaranty censes, which may stymie plans to start up is responsible recognition of the very tough six-month grace period must be made up, Trust Company, 30 West Broadway, again under another name. Laker has until environment we face including, in addition once computer program revisions are oper­ 9th Floo{ Agency, New York, NY March 9 to appeal the decision. Meantime, to the positive impact of the pay pause, ational." TWA matches every dollar of 10015. (Phone: 212-5~7-6086). British Caledonian Airways has applied for meaningful work rule changes. that will employee contribution. Laker's London-Los Angeles route. strengthen TWA's ability to compete." Spring-Can't Come Too Soon for STI. Senator Danforth Cited Deicing a TWA 1011 - an all-too-familiar scene at St. Louis this winter as the TWA hub U.S. Senator John Danforth receives a plaque from President Ed Meyer expressing was hit by many days of sub-zero temperatures and one snowstorm after the other. appreciation on bt:half of TWA and its employees for his support of legislation which led Flights have been diverted, delayed and cancelled with regularity creating confusion and to the award to TWA of an -Air Force ~ontract to overhaul the JT3D engin_es on 707s frustration among airline employees and passengers. Ground crews have had to cope acquired from American Airlines.· The presentatio!J. took place following a tour by with deicing problems one day and snow removal the next, with scarcely a letup. Senator Danforth of the JT3D engine overhaul line at MCI. · f rarily out with an illness, I'm going to put ·my 2¢ in to see if I can sort out what we're Final Last Word on Loening.Amphibian saying to each other. Box·605 First, to Ms. O'Brien and Ms. Palma, I wholeheartedly agree with my colleague Bill Brown. If our two correspondents Starting at the Top could have listeneq to some of the taped Editor's Note: An article in the October comments on the Response Line, I think 26th Skyliner, "Response Line: Some Re­ it's safe to say that they, too, would have vealing Questions," led to an exchange of alternately been buoyed by the caring way correspondence (published in the Decem­ in which legitimate concerns are raised by ber 21st issue) between the author, Bill the majority of honest, dedicated TWA Brown, and Kathleen O'Brien of Philadel­ employees; and alarmed, as we were, at the phia. In her letter Kathleen criticized the depth of the almost willful mistrust and tone of the article, saying that rather than suspicion of management displayed by promoting a healthy exchange of informa­ others. With nearly everyone we know at tion it "struck a lethal blow to a system TWA busting their tails to make it go right, (Response Line) that has great potential for ignoring the existence of destructive atti­ success." Bill responded bluntly, as is his · tudes among us would be, in my view, Historic photo shows a Loening Amphibian at the company~s Manhattan factory on nature, but sincerely, which is also his irresponsible. the East River. Picture was taken April6, 1929. The young fellow at lower right may; nature, in essence that some of us have Certainly, and gratefully, the naysayers or may not, be retired TWAer Mel Warshaw, who worked at Loenjng as a colleg~ student. (Mel's not sure but admits there's a resemblance.) been carrying chips on our shoulders far are in the minority and no one should feel too long. ·threatened or inhibited when a responsible The above photo was sent to the Sky liner by Gastrick (retired); Lewis W: Goss, who Bev Palma of KCAC viewed Bill's employee, which Bill certainly is, points Thelma Young. Hpr late husband, TWA joined TWA when it merged with Western response as "condescending. He obvi­ out their existence as a cancerous threat to Captain Franklin Young, flew the Loening Air Express and retired in January 1960 ously ·has missed something very the very sense of family and achievement in scheduled seniice between Los Angeles after 32 years with the airline; Charles important ... Wouldn't it behoove TWA to we'd all like to enjoy. and Catalina Is!and. He also ferried a ·Gress, who was active in the TAT-Maddux, look further than the questions being In my more than a few years at TWA I've Loening from the New York factory to WAE, PAT, SAFE merger; F. B. McLeod, asked? Since we do as we are told, natu­ been privileged to serve as a union em­ L.A. in Aprill929. On that trip according ~4, who worked as chief mechanic on rally, we blame management and of course ployee and as a member of management­ to his log, which Mrs. Young also sent, Douglas mail planes and, on Saturdays, this will be reflected in your Question Line. both at 605 and on the line - so I've got Capt, Young covered 2,695 miles in flying collected tickets from passengers boarding If management is doing the job they're more than a casual -appreciation for the time of 38 hours six minutes, with over­ the plane to Catalina Island; Capt.