
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 12, 1994                   TAG: 9404120155
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

USAIR TO HIRE 700

USAir is suspending its hiring freeze to add 700 reservations agents and flight attendants over the next few months.

The airline is adding employees - notwithstanding its urgent push to cut payroll costs - to cope with a surge in passenger boardings sparked by deep fare cuts.

The number of calls to USAir reservations centers soared 49 percent in March from the same period last year, spokeswoman Andrea Butler said.

The 500 new reservations jobs will be part time. Preference in hiring will be given to former USAir reservations agents on layoff, Butler said.

The 200 flight attendants will be new hires, since there are no flight attendants on layoff. USAir is in particular need of applicants who speak Spanish; it is starting service to Mexico in May and is evaluating additional destinations in Latin America.

Ironically, USAir only six months ago eliminated the same number of flight attendant positions it now is seeking to add.

by CNB