Eastern Airlines

The action in nine cities was to protest cost-cutting policies, which the pilots claimed endangers passengers by putting profit considerations ahead of safety concerns. The pilots said that since Texas Air acquired Eastern in February, 1986, the company had adopted cost-cutting measures that are not only unfair to workers but could violate federal rules and affect the safety of Eastern flight crews and passengers.

The Air Force has placed Eastern Airlines under increased scrutiny after considering, but then rejecting, a suspension of the carrier's right to fly military passengers. The Military Airlift Command said Eastern became the object of a "commercial carrier survey" in March, and Air Force inspectors "reported performance deficiencies which, if not corrected, could affect the safety of the half-million DOD (Department of Defense) personnel who annually fly on Eastern aircraft."

Trans World Airlines Inc. announced Tuesday that it is not prepared at this time to submit a formal bid for strikebound Eastern Airlines. Takeover strategist Carl C. Icahn, chairman of TWA, has held numerous discussions with officials of Eastern's unions and had been widely expected to make a bid for the Miami-based airline. TWA said in a statement that it needs more time to discuss with its unions the feasibility of integrating the two carriers' work forces. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Burton R. Lifland has set today as a deadline for all interested bidders to submit offers for Eastern or its Northeast shuttle service to the federal bankruptcy court, which must approve any sales.

Eastern Airlines management and Machinists union officials Wednesday discussed a mandatory overtime dispute that led to a walkout. Company spokesman Robin Matell said that there were two small, short-lived walkouts Wednesday morning by groups of Machinists workers but that operations were continuing normally. Up to 1,000 Machinists walked off the job Tuesday afternoon at Miami International Airport.

Strikebound Eastern Airlines nearly tripled its flights Sunday, and the public responded by taking advantage of bargain "comeback fares," a company spokesman said. At San Francisco International Airport, about 150 striking employees picketed in protest. San Francisco had two flights scheduled to Atlanta, Eastern's busiest hub, and two flights from Atlanta. Eastern increased its daily flight schedule from about 80 to 225, serving 49 cities instead of 27.

Eastern Airlines Chairman Frank Borman told employees Monday that he is extending the airline's yearlong wage give-back plan because Eastern cannot afford the $22 million a month it would cost to reinstate salaries. The plan was to expire at midnight Monday, but Borman said in a company-wide letter that the pay cuts, ranging from 18% to 22%, negotiated with Eastern's 37,000 employees in December, 1983, will be continued until a new agreement is reached.

The unions had asked for a 60-day postponement of the scheduled Nov. 25 shareholders meeting, called to approve the airline's merger with Texas Air Corp. The union wanted the postponement to allow employee groups more time to mount their own buyout bid. The merger is expected to be approved in the meeting since Texas Air already owns more than 51% of Eastern's stock.

The technical default on $2.5 billion in loans may be lifted in a few weeks since tentative labor accords have been reached with the carrier's three labor unions, an airline spokesman said. Final agreements must be signed before the firm's 60 lenders, including some overseas financial institutions, will vote to approve such clearance. A Jan.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it is seeking a record $9.5 million in fines against Eastern Airlines for safety and record-keeping violations that could have led to a shutdown of the nation's third-largest air carrier. FAA documents showed that the agency threatened to suspend Eastern's operating certificate unless the company agreed by Friday that it would satisfy concerns raised by the agency.

Eastern Airlines confronts its problems with an ambitious campaign that combines personality advertising with grainy realism about a company in crisis, but publicity experts question whether the plan will work. The "100 Days" commercials, starring court-appointed trustee Martin R. Shugrue, are running during prime time and newscasts in 33 markets. The company won't say how much it's spending in the campaign, in which Shugrue admits that Eastern must climb out of a "large, deep hole."