United Airlines to cut some management positions

[NEW YORK] United Continental Holdings Inc expects to cut some management employees as a part of its larger restructuring program. "While we don't have an exact figure now, a small number of our management team will be affected by reductions," said Mike Bonds, executive vice president of human resources, in a letter to employees last week.

However, frontline employees, which include pilots, flight attendants, customer-service and gate agents, would not be affected by the impending changes, according to the letter, parts of which the company provided to Reuters.

The No 3 US airline by passenger traffic is increasing efforts to match margins of No 2 Delta Air Lines Inc.

United said in October cheap airfares and higher wages from new contracts would squeeze its results in the fall, making it difficult to be as profitable as competitors.

BLOOMBERG