[Maximillian_Jenius]

Phoenix seeks US Airways facility




The jockeying has begun for a 600-employee US Airways flight-operations center, with Pittsburgh revealing a $16 million incentive package and Phoenix and Charlotte finalizing their proposals.

Phoenix officials wouldn't disclose the financial terms of the city's multimillion-dollar package except to say the proposed site for the airline's nerve center is city-owned property adjacent to the airline's flight-training center west of the airport. The airline would lease the land.

"We want to try to be as competitive as possible," said David Krietor, deputy city manager. "It is a little bit rough when you've got the state of Pennsylvania giving multimillion-dollar grants, but we did the best we could."

The Phoenix package also is believed to include tax credits for low-cost financing and a state job-training grant. A large part of the Pittsburgh package, about $12 million, is loans from the county and a bank.

Phoenix's proposal is a joint effort by the city's economic development office, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Department of Commerce and large businesses including Cox Communications and Arizona Public Service Co.

"Phoenix will have a very competitive package. We have a long-term relationship with the airline, and I'm optimistic they will find the Phoenix package to their liking," Mayor Phil Gordon said through a spokeswoman.

"These are high-paying jobs," said Bruce MacTurk, economic development program manager for Phoenix in charge of business attraction. "It's a great project."

Tempe-based US Airways has two operations center, in Phoenix and Pittsburgh, following last year's merger of America West and the old US Airways. Together, they employ about 600 workers. It wants to consolidate them into one and either build new or expand a current site.

In August, the airline invited the existing cities and Charlotte to submit proposals. They are due Sunday, with a decision expected in February.

Employees at the $25 million operations center, expected to open in late 2008 or early 2009, will dispatch the airline's 950 daily flights, schedule and support flight crews, help coordinate passenger rebooking after flight cancellations and delays and handle aircraft changes when maintenance issues arise.

Pittsburgh has the most to lose; Charlotte the most to gain. And Phoenix falls in the middle in the economic stakes.

The Pittsburgh center has about 450 jobs, with an average salary of $40,000, so if it doesn't prevail, those jobs are gone. It would add to dramatic job losses there over the past several years as US Airways shrank its operations and shifted its attention to Philadelphia. There is lingering bitterness from the cutbacks and a fervent hope the airline will ramp up there again some day.

The Phoenix center has about 150 jobs with the same pay. Those would go away if Charlotte or Pittsburgh was selected, but it would gain 450 jobs if it prevailed. The airline already has nearly 10,000 employees here.

Charlotte, the airline's largest hub by daily flights, would net 600 jobs, adding to its base of 5,000 employees.

Charlotte officials did not respond to calls seeking comment. Officials have said they will "put together what we believe will be a very competitive and compelling proposal."

http://www.azcentral.com/business/ar...rways1013.html


Okay...for all the local PHX peeps...don't we already have an America West/US Airways flight facility here in town? I'm about two minutes away from it walking distance!