Northwest to
eliminate jobs of
150 Hawaii-based
DC-10 pilots

30 are likely to
stay on to fly 747s

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By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

Northwest Airlines has told 150 Hawaii-based pilots who fly its McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 jets that their jobs will be cut in October as the airline retires three of the planes.

However, about 30 of the pilots are likely to stay on to fly the company's Boeing 747s, Northwest spokesman Dennis Mollura said today.

"The pilots will be able to express their preferences and some may be able to stay on as 747 pilots, depending on their seniority" and other factors, Mollura said. They have until June 5 to notify the airline whether they wish to qualify for 747 duty, move to another station or take some other option, he said.

Another 170 Hawaii-based pilots who already operate the 747s will continue to be based in the islands, Mollura said. In effect, the change means reducing its Hawaii base to about 200 pilots from 320.

All its mainland-Hawaii and Hawaii-Asia services will continue as they are now, using only 747s, Mollura said.

Northwest has two flights a day between Honolulu and Tokyo, using 747s. It also uses DC-10s on daily flights nonstop between Honolulu and Minneapolis/St.Paul and Honolulu-Los Angeles.

Earlier this month, the airline said it would suspend some Asia services in September. They are Seattle-Osaka, Osaka-Taiwan and Osaka-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, none of which includes Hawaii.