=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2002/02= /20/BU191026.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, February 20, 2002 (SF Chronicle) Southwest to add 4,000 workers/Airline continues to buck industry trend Chronicle Staff News Services Southwest Airlines Co. plans to hire 4,000 employees this year, boosting its workforce by about 13 percent as the largest low-fare carrier adds 11 new airplanes and increases flights. The airline will hire 250 pilots, 1,200 flight attendants, 1,000 ground workers and about 1,550 other employees, spokeswoman Linda Rutherford said. Southwest was the only major U.S. carrier that didn't reduce its workforce after the Sept. 11 attacks, as airlines eliminated more than 90,000 jobs. Southwest, based in Dallas, said it has no overall figure on how many positions will be added this year at Oakland International Airport, where it now employs 2,300 workers. But Whitney Brewer, another Southwest spokeswoman, said the hiring opportunities look good since Oakland is the sixth busiest airport in the United States for the carrier and is a base for pilots and flight attendants. The increased in hiring is tied to Southwest's plan to increase capacity, or available seats, by 3.5 to 4 percent this year. In the Bay Area, the carrier recently announced the start of service between Oakland and Chicago on April 7, with three round-trip flights. Southwest maintained its flight schedule after the terrorist hijackings, which worsened a decline in air travel during the recession and caused most airlines to cut capacity and fares. Southwest also was the only major carrier to make money last year even before the $5 billion in post-Sept. 11 federal cash aid to airlines. The hiring plan shows the success of "an airline that is making money ev= en in these difficult times and has flexible work rules and low costs," said Ray Neidl, an ABN Amro analyst who rates Southwest an "add" and owns the stock. "Everybody benefits -- investors and employees alike." About 300 of the ground workers already have been added, Rutherford said. Southwest, in a federal filing this month, said it had 31,580 employees at the end of 2001. The airline said in October that efforts then to add workers were stymied because potential applicants thought all carriers were cutting jobs. Rivals such as American Airlines and America West Airlines Inc. have restored some flights cut after the terrorist hijackings, although their capacity remains below levels before Sept. 11. The two carriers have rehired some laid-off employees, while Delta Air Lines Inc. said this month it would lay off 300 fewer pilots than originally planned.=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2002 SF Chronicle