US Airways to consider relocating its offices PITTSBURGH (AP) =97 U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said he plans to discuss the=20 possibility of US Airways shifting its offices to Pennsylvania in exchange= =20 for improvements at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia airports. The senator's=20 willingness to court the carrier follows comments made by US Airways=20 president and chief executive officer David Siegel about leaving Arlington,= =20 Va., if it doesn't start receiving better treatment from Ronald Reagan=20 Washington National Airport and Washington, D.C.-area businesses. But US=20 Airways officials on Thursday backed off the CEO's statements, saying=20 Siegel was merely noting the airline's growing popularity after emerging=20 from bankruptcy. ``This has nothing to do with where the company's=20 headquarters potentially could be relocated and everything to do with the=20 business relationships we have in the Washington area," US Airways=20 spokesman David Castleveter said. Specter, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and the state's congressional=20 representatives are scheduled to meet with Siegel and airline executives=20 June 11 in Washington to go over the airline's demands for improvements at= =20 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia airports. ``Among the items we're going to talk= =20 about is the headquarters issue," Specter said. ``I'm looking for some=20 reciprocity. We've got a lot of jobs at stake." US Airways is seeking $235= =20 million in government aid for improvements and rent at Philadelphia=20 International Airport, plus $155 million in cost savings from Pittsburgh's= =20 airport. Roughly half of the airline's approximately 29,000 employees are=20 based in Pennsylvania. During Wednesday's speech to the Greater Washington= =20 Initiative, Siegel said other places have come to covet the carrier's=20 headquarters, such as majority owner Retirement Systems of Alabama and the= =20 airline's other hubs. ``Most recently, the governor of Pennsylvania has suggested that we should= =20 relocate to that state as part of our negotiations to maintain our hub in=20 Pittsburgh," Siegel said. Rendell was first to say he will ask US Airways=20 to move its headquarters in exchange for some of the airline's demands.=20 Siegel added that the airline remains committed to staying in the=20 Washington area. ``I am so committed to the success of US Airways that I=20 moved my wife and 12-year-old daughter here with the promise that we would= =20 stay here at least through high school," Siegel said. U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy,= =20 R-Allegheny, said Siegel appears to be leveraging the airline's popularity= =20 to cut costs. ``That appears to be his style," Murphy said. ``He talks to=20 the employees and says he needs concessions, or else. He talks to the=20 airports and says he needs lower costs, or else." Rendell said Thursday he= =20 will not want to compete with other states for the airline's headquarters.= =20 ``We're not going to get into a bidding war to put money into US Airways'=20 pocket," the governor 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/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.caribbeanfloral.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************