With the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina continuing to unfold in New Orleans, US Airways New Orleans Station Manager Bryan Smith is working today in the airline's Dallas/Fort Worth offices, busily seeking to assure the welfare of his 73 employees. "We know that we have some loss of homes, but nobody knows for sure, or to what extent, because nobody has seen their homes," he said. "There just isn't any way to get back to see them." He last saw his own home on Saturday.
Smith said he is just thankful that everyone is safe. Nearly all of US Airways' New Orleans employees and their families evacuated before the hurricane struck, he said. A handful remain in New Orleans, including one employee who is staying in the airline's airport offices, which has power from the airport's generator. Smith said he has been in contact with nearly every employee and is attempting to locate the rest, who apparently were among the evacuees.
Smith was part of a group of 17 US Airways employees and family members who were aboard an American Airlines flight from New Orleans to Dallas on Tuesday. The emergency flight had flown into New Orleans to deliver supplies and evacuate employees. Smith and his fellow workers had been staying in a New Orleans airport area hotel, planning to wait out Katrina before resuming operations, as they had done during previous severe storms. But the hotel had no power and no running water and its food supply was almost gone. "We had no choice but to leave," said Smith.
For the moment, Smith is hoping that his employees will be able to keep working even if New Orleans operations are not quickly restored. He knows that many employees will require assistance. Because his phone is constantly busy, he asks that if there is a need to contact him, employees should use Lotus Notes; he expects to have access by tonight.
Countless employees from around the system have expressed a desire to assist those affected by the hurricane, offering to send supplies, money, or personally travel to help repair and rebuild. At this time, the Red Cross has said that monetary assistance is the best alternative, so that necessary supplies can be purchased and directed to those most in need. US Airways is working closely with the Red Cross, and also has created the US Airways Employee Relief Fund.
Employees who wish to contribute to the Fund may send checks (made payable to the US Airways Employee Relief Fund) to the Piedmont Aviation Credit Union, 3810 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27105.
