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Boeing unveiled its first 737-400,
with many specifications shaped by
Piedmont, at its Renton plant south
of Seattle on January 26, 1988.
Piedmont placed the launch order
for the aircraft in June 1986 when
the airline announced plans to pur
chase 25 of the new model with op
tions on 30 more at a total value of
$1.9 billion, including spare parts.
As the launch customer. Piedmont
“had the dominant role in the devel
opment of this airplane,” a spokes
person for Boeing said.
The new 737 is 191 feet, 1 inch
long with a wingspan of 94 feet,
9 inches. It will carry 146 to 168
passengers as far as 3,200 miles.
The aircraft’s first flight will take
place in March followed by a seven-
month flight test program and cer
tification by the Federal Aviation
Administration. The first aircraft is
scheduled to be delivered on Sep
tember 14 with eight more arriving
by year end. The remaining 16 firm
orders are scheduled for delivery in
1989.
Boeing also unveiled the 747-400,
which will become the largest com
mercial airliner in service, the same
day. Northwest will take delivery of
the first new 747 and has announced
plans to use it on a 6,744-mile New
York to Tbkyo route starting in early
1989.
February "1988
Volume 39, number 1
INT home for 2 merged departments
Eight hundred Piedmont employees based at
the company's Madison Park facilities will re
main in Winston-Salem and approximately 400
new positions will be located at INT as the
merger of the two airlines begins.
USAir announced in late January that, as part
of the operational merger of Piedmont into
USAir, some employees of USAir's computer ser
vices department and all employees of the reve
nue accounting department will be based in
Winston-Salem.
“We are all pleased by USAir’s decision to use
our new, state-of-the-art building to house the
combined airline’s computer systems,” Tfed Cel-
entino, vice president-computer and communica
tions services, said.
'•We’ll be able to provide the new airline with
good facilities, facilities which offer ample space to
do what we’ll need to do over the next few years.
And,” he added, “the people in my area are happy
that Winston-Salem will remain their home.”
The consolidation of all mainframe computers
for the combined carrier will be accomplished over
the next three years. USAir’s MIS division will con
tinue to maintain a substantial presence in North
ern Virginia where employment levels now number
about 250. There are more than 400jobs located at
the Piedmont computer facility in Winston-Salem.
The first areas to move will be USAir’s cargo
accounting and passenger refund sections. Ap
proximately 120 new positions of the combined
USAir/PSA revenue accounting department will
be assigned to Winston-Salem in April. The oper
ation will be located nearby on the third floor of
another building in the Madison Park complex. It
is expected that the former PSA operations will
be using USAir ticket stock by April, and this
will necessitate new handling procedures. PSA,
who like Piedmont is also a wholly-owned sub
sidiary of USAir Group, will be operationally
merged into USAir in April.
The remaining employees in USAir’s revenue
accounting department, approximately 250 jobs,
will locate in Winston-Salem in early 1989,
“We’re obviously pleased and elated over the
decision,” Forest Bates, assistant controller-
revenue accounting, said.
“Our facilities will remain here at Madison Park
adjacent to the computer reservations center with
whom we work closely. We have adequate space for
growth, and by year end, we will occupy all five
floors of this building. When fully merged, the com
bined airline will likely be ranked #1 or #2 in the in
dustry in terms of passengers carried and tickets
accepted. Since our work volume is directly related
to ticket volume, we expect our department to be
even busier in the coming months.
“Our employees are very happy to have the op
portunity to work with our new partners in the
challenging task of consolidation and beyond,”
Bates added.
“The decision to locate both the computer cen
ter and the revenue accounting department in
Winston-Salem is good for the company and the
city,” Howard Mackinnon, senior vice president-
finance, said. “The company benefits from Pied
mont’s skilled personnel and excellent facilities
at lower costs than comparable operations in
Washington, DC. The city benefits from USAir’s
continued commitment to Winston-Salem.”
In making the announcement, USAir also re
affirmed that the new headquarters for the com
bined company will remain in the Northern
Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, and that
substantially all other activities of the finance di
vision will probably be retained there.
'1
Got a question? About Piedmont? Your job?
The merger? Got a suggestion? About Pied
mont? Your job? The merger? Piedmont
has set up a line to receive your questions
or suggestions. Just call
1-800-637-4374.
Your question, or suggestion, will be for
warded to the appropriate officer at Pied
mont for a response. The line is toll free
from anywhere on Piedmont’s domestic
system. We're waiting to hear from you.