The Florida Chamber of Commerce is backing American Airlines in its bankruptcy restructuring, with an emphasis on protecting the companys more than 9,000 employees in South Florida, while criticizing federal regulations that interfere with recovery efforts.
Every job that American Airlines saves and keeps in Florida will help with Floridas economic development and further our states growing international trade activity, Mark Wilson, Chamber president and CEO, stated in a release.
On Wednesday, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier, which has been at odds with its union workers, outlined a $2 billion Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring plan that could cost 13,000 employees their jobs.
The Sun-Sentinel reported that it is unclear how employees in South Florida will be affected.
American did, however, say it plans to boost departures from Miami and four other major markets -- Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles -- by 20 percent in the next five years, the Sun-Sentinel reported.Those plans could bode well for South Florida employees.
Wilson pointed to the role American Airlines has played in Floridas economy -- providing private-sector jobs, producing economic activity and moving freight and people to multiple national and international destinations facilitating trade and tourism.
He also criticized the federal government which has filed $91 million in liens against the company over its pension plan funding.
As American companies struggle to regain economic vibrancy and add jobs to our recovering economy, we are constantly reminded of Washingtons regulatory roadblocks that detour Floridas path to prosperity, Wilson stated. The last thing Florida job creators need are federal roadblocks such as burdensome regulations like the multibillion-dollar water tax proposed by the federal EPA and the Obama administrations proposed multibillion (-dollar) airline departure tax that will harm the aviation community, tourism and Floridas economy.
AMR Corp., American Airlines parent company, sought bankruptcy protection on Nov. 29 after being unable to reach a deal with its unions.
On Tuesday, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. filed more than $90 million in liens in Delaware, Texas and the District of Columbia on AMR property as the federal agency and airline debate Americans late payment to the agency, according to the Dallas Morning News.
American was supposed to make a quarterly payment of close to $100 million on Jan. 15 but put in only $6.5 million, the Morning News reported.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
