American Airlines will recall or hire 200 to 250 maintenance employees to meet increased workloads in 2008, the Fort Worth-based company said Monday.

The recall and hiring will start in December and will continue through the first quarter of 2008.

Employees will be added at American's overhaul bases in Fort Worth, Tulsa, and Kansas City, Mo., as well as at other maintenance facilities across the airline's system.

"In reviewing our needs for 2008 and beyond, it became very clear that increasing our maintenance work force would ensure that we continue on the path of becoming 'Best in Class,'" said Carmine Romano, senior vice president of maintenance and engineering. "While this will be an ongoing process for the next few months, we are very pleased to welcome more people returning to work or starting a career with American."

Unique among airlines, American performs about 90 percent of all its own maintenance work.

In 2008, American anticipates increased workloads in several areas at its maintenance bases and line stations. The airline said, for example, that it has begun overhauling landing gears on American's Boeing 777 and 737 fleets, as well as the landing gears on the American Eagle ERJ fleet.

American will also start checks on the General Electric CFM56-7 engine, which powers its Boeing 737-800 fleet.

Also, American's maintenance organization is installing lie-flat seats and enhanced in-flight entertainment in the business class cabin on all Boeing 767-300s, and in the first- and business-class cabins on all its Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

Source:  Bizjournals.com