US Airways Group Inc., a major airline company in the US based in Arizona, announced a plan to slash over 176 jobs at its various headquarters in 11 cities. The job cuts are slated primarily for the airline company’s facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a total of 91 slated for layoffs, followed by Buffalo, New York, with 24 facing layoffs. US Airways currently employs a total of 31,500 employees.

Andrew Christie, spokesman of US Airways, said that the layoffs are attributed to the new business strategy of the airline company. “Pittsburgh was hit with the bulk of the cuts, 91, followed by Buffalo, N.Y., at 24. In those two cities, US Airways no longer will have its mainline employees servicing its express partners. But all employees can be absorbed into other markets if they’re willing to relocate.” Christie added that US Airways is making new adjustments to its routine schedule and that entails removing some of its staff. “Fifty-four airport customer service positions and 122 fleet service jobs are being eliminated. The cuts are necessary because of a reduced number of flights in some markets, as the airline makes routine adjustments to its schedule, as well as low attrition rates as the economy has forced some people to postpone retirement and avoid job switches.”

Other cities affected by the job cuts are the following: Boston, Massachusetts, 20; Los Angeles, California 15, San Jose, California 4 and Burbank, California 2; Rochester, New York, 7; Kansas City, Missouri, 6; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 3; Memphis, Tennessee, 3 and El Paso, Texas, 1. Christie added: “[The] announcement does not affect the airline’s plans announced late last year to hire/rehire about 500 pilots and flight attendants this year.”