United bankruptcy could cause troubles for Air Wisconsin MILWAUKEE (AP) =97 The bankruptcy of United Airlines could cause some=20 turbulence for Air Wisconsin. Appleton-based Air Wisconsin operates about=20 90% of its flights as United Express, which shuttles passengers from=20 smaller markets to United hub airports in Chicago, Denver, Washington and=20 Los Angeles. United's contract with Air Wisconsin allowed privately held=20 Air Wisconsin to post a 12% revenue increase in 2001, when other airlines=20 collectively lost $7.7 billion. But United has said in its bankruptcy=20 proceedings over the past few months that it wants to cut about $100=20 million a year from contracts with three of its United Express partners:=20 Air Wisconsin, Atlantic Coast Airlines and SkyWest. United pays the=20 regional carriers a flat rate, which guarantees a profit margin that=20 industry analysts estimate is about 12%. Air Wisconsin and other United=20 Express carriers have thrived under the contracts, but now United wants to= =20 put the squeeze on them, said Bill Oliver, vice president of the Boyd=20 Group, an aviation consulting firm in Evergreen, Colo. "United wants to=20 reduce the amount it pays all of its vendors," he said. "There are no=20 exceptions when a company is in bankruptcy." Atlantic Coast Airlines filed= =20 a petition last month in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago, trying to force= =20 United to say whether it planned to honor its existing contract. The court= =20 ruled that United did not have to reveal its plans. Air Wisconsin has not=20 learned what United wants to do with its contract, either, said Doug Horn,= =20 company senior vice president. "They will approach us and let us know when= =20 they're ready," he said. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week:http://www.ttsailing.org/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************