The airline confirmed that it plans to close two hangars and several specialty shops and will transfer heavy maintenance on Boeing 737 aircraft from Moon to Charlotte, N.C. In return, all base maintenance on Airbus A320 narrow-bodied aircraft now will be centered in Pittsburgh, the airline said.

Heavy maintenance refers to comprehensive stem-to-stern inspections that airlines must make on aircraft every five years.

US Airways said 1,800 of about 3,500 mechanics and mechanic-related workers companywide, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, will be affected. The number of furloughs will be affected by attrition and retirements.

"US Airways is in the midst of a major change to effectively compete with today's industry leaders, the low-cost carriers,'' said John Prestifilippo, US Airways' senior vice president of maintenance operations. "Through discussions with the IAM we have been able to mitigate the impact on employees in the maintenance division as much as possible while achieving the necessary cost reductions.''

The airline noted that the job cuts, which will save the bankrupt carrier about $250 million a year, were permitted under new labor contracts with the IAM.

"We hope that US Airways' executives charged with bringing this airline to life will not squander the enormous sacrifices our members have agreed to make to save this airline,'' said IAM spokesman Joseph Tiberi.

At Moon, US Airways will eliminate 560 mechanics, 98 stock clerks and 141 utility workers. Utility workers perform aircraft and facility cleaning. Last week's report detailed cuts in the mechanics' ranks, while US Airways yesterday added additional cuts among clerks and utility workers.

The Moon facility employs 1,800 to 2,000, according to US Airways' employees.

Those job cuts come on top of the elimination of 830 reservations agents that US Airways announced last week, which will begin in April. Total job reductions will cut US Airways' local employment from about 5,800 to 4,150.

US Airways said affected workers will receive furlough benefits, based on years of service, of up to 15 weeks' pay. They also will receive up to nine months' medical benefits at employee contribution rates, and lump-sum payments of up to $5,000 for cashout of accrued sick leave.

The job reductions will occur in phases, US Airways said.

The union for US Airways' local reservations agents vowed yesterday to fight the airline's decision to close its reservations center in Green Tree, where nearly 800 agents work, and a smaller center in Findlay.

The company said last Wednesday it would begin shuttering the office complex, plus a baggage center in Findlay, in April and shift all 830 jobs to Winston-Salem, N.C., by September.

The Communications Workers of America plans to petition the Alexandria, Va., bankruptcy judge handling the US Airways case to reverse the closing.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato recently said local and state officials offered US Airways much sweeter incentives than did Winston-Salem, the union noted.

"Why would a judge approve something that is going to cost them more money in the long run?" said Chris Fox, president of CWA Local 13302, Green Tree.

Allegheny County and the state offered the airline a package worth about $3.5 million in grants, job training and other assistance to keep the reservations center in Green Tree. But Winston-Salem's incentives amounted to only $1.4 million, Onorato said.