Northwest Airlines Resumes Flights After Strike

After a tense standoff between pilots and management, Northwest Airlines will resume most of its flights out of Memphis International Airport today, Aug. 29. The labor dispute, which saw 2,400 local workers on strike since Aug. 28 over wages and job security, has been settled, and the airline is now looking to win back passengers who were alienated by the shutdown. As the airline returns to normal operations, its subsidiary Northwest Airlink, which operates 100 daily flights in Memphis, will also resume flights to all 30 of the cities it serves.

Key Takeaways:

• Northwest Airlines will resume most of its flights out of Memphis International Airport today, Aug. 29, after a two-day shutdown due to a labor dispute with its pilots.
• The airline's subsidiary, Northwest Airlink, which operates 100 daily flights in Memphis, will also resume flights to all 30 of the cities it serves.
• Airlink employees, who were not on strike, will have their fleet of twin-engine, turbo-prop aircraft thoroughly cleaned and inspected during the downtime.
• Airlink pilots and flight attendants who didn't work during the strike had their pay cut 50 percent, but no employees were laid off.
• Airlink will fly to cities usually served by larger Northwest DC9s, including Dallas, Wichita, Knoxville, and Birmingham, for a few days until Northwest is fully up and running.
• Northwest Airlines is offering bonus frequent-flier miles and other incentives to appease customers through the end of October.
• The International Association of Machinists, which represents 27,000 Northwest mechanics, ramp workers, ticket agents, and others, has asked the National Mediation Board to declare an impasse in contract talks, which could lead to another strike.

Statistics:

• 2,400 local workers were on strike at Northwest Airlines since Aug. 28, but most have returned to work as the dispute was settled.
• About 35 percent of the 115 flights that usually come and go from Memphis International Airport each day were operated by Northwest on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
• Northwest Airlink operates 100 daily flights in Memphis.
• The airline's subsidiary, Airlink, has a fleet of 1,400 employees.
• Airlink pilots and flight attendants who didn't work during the strike had their pay cut 50 percent.
• Northwest Airlines lost at least two days of revenue due to the strike.
• The airline's shares on the Nasdaq market closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, at $30.81 1/4, up 68 3/4 cents.

Sources:

• Dave Hirschman, "Northwest Airlines jets to leave Memphis airport gates today", The Commercial Appeal, Aug. 29.