K
I-
m
Piedmont’s first 767-200 is
starting to take shape! This
photo, taken in mid-March, shows
the three main sections of the
aircraft being attached. The air
craft is being assembled at Boe
ing’s Everett Plant, 30 miles
north of Seattle. The building,
which contains the final assem
bly area for both the 767 and
747, is the largest volume build
ing in the world.
“Once all the pieces of an air
craft are made, everything clicks
together,” John Wheeler, Boeing’s
manager-public relations, ex
plained. “The entire aircraft,
which is in three main sections, is
then put together overnight. The
roll-out is six to eight weeks later.’’
This 767-200’s roll-out is
set for April 18. Next it will be
painted in Piedmont’s colors,
which will take four days, fol
lowed by test flights by Boeing. A
Piedmont crew will later fly the
aircraft on its acceptance flight.
Our first widebody aircraft,
N603P, is scheduled for delivery
Thursday, May 21. The second
one will be delivered June 3 and
the third, August 10. The 767-
200 will have 210 seats, 25 first-
class and 185 coach.
volume 38, number 2
March 1987
Piedmont USAir reach agreement for merger
Piedmont and USAir announced jointly on
March 9 plans to create a combined airline
that in 1986 would have had sales in excess of
$3,6 billion and would rank among the nation’s
largest, most profitable air carriers.
USAir’s proposal to acquire ail outstanding
Piedmont stock for $69 a share in an all-cash
transaction has been approved by the Board of
Directors of each corporation. If, as expected, it is
approved by the Department of TYansportation
and Piedmont shareholders, it will create the
nation’s seventh largest airline in terms of avail
able seat miles with more than 36,000 employ
ees, a fleet of more than 300 jet aircraft, and will
serve nearly 50 million passengers annually.
Bill Howard, Piedmont’s chairman, president,
and chief executive officer, in a message to Pied
mont employees on March 9, said:
“Remember that, so far, nearly all of the airline
mergers have been between a strong and a weak
airline, with the result that, in at least some of
those mergers, the ultimate results are still very
much in doubt. In this case, however, we are put
ting together two of the strongest and best run
airlines in the nation. The result is that our
financial success should be assured.
“Both geographically and philosophically we
are very similar, and there will emerge oppor-
on the inside
• a look at USAir’s history
• how PI and AL compare
• Howard at Piedmont’s helm
See Page 7
tunities for us, working together, to become the
finest large airline in the nation, bar none. We
will need to work to see that the best features of
each of the three airlines. Piedmont, USAir, and
PSA, are emphasized and that we cooperate with
and draw on the strengths of each other.’’
(USAir had earlier gained approval from DOT
to purchase PSA, headquartered in San Diego,
California, with a strong network of routes in Cal
ifornia and the far West.)
Ed Colodny, USAir’s chairman, president, and
chief executive officer, in a welcoming message
to Piedmont employees the same day, said:
“It is my belief—shared by Bill Howard and
the management team at Piedmont—that the
USAir/PSA combination with Piedmont will cre
ate a strong, healthy system able to battle with
the giants and serve an expanding customer
base.’’
He added:
“. . .it is important that all employees of both
USAir and Piedmont Airlines know that it is our
intent to offer voluntcirily the protection of the
Allegheny/Mohawk Labor Protective Provisions
(LPP's) at such time as USAir and Piedmont Air
lines are merged into one carrier. USAir has al
ready extended this offer to the employees at
PSA. In future communications we will be pro
viding more detailed explanations of these LPPs.’’
Both Howard and Colodny pointed out that
Piedmont will continue to operate as a separate
airline through the four to six months expected
before government approval of the merger is re
ceived, and for nine months beyond the approval
date as details of the melding of the two compa
nies are planned.
During the interim. Piedmont’s operations will
continue in place under its existing management.
"Please extend a warm hand of friendship to
every USAir employee you see,’’ Howard said in
closing. “We will need them and they will need
us, and together we will emerge to be the best
major airline in the world.’’
Howeird
Colodny