US Airways issues 'work free' plea

Bankrupt US Airways has appealed to employees to work for free at Philadelphia’s airport over New Year’s weekend to avoid a repeat of a Christmas fiasco that left the airline with too few workers to fly its planes and process baggage.

Meanwhile, the airline warned employees that it would review the attendance records of those who called in sick over the Christmas holiday – and to discipline workers who abused the sick time system.

US Airways Group cancelled hundreds of flights around Christmas when an unusually large number of flight attendants and baggage handlers failed to show up, crippling a flying operation already hampered by days of bad weather.

The debacle left an estimated 10,000 undelivered bags at Philadelphia International Airport and stranded travellers along the East Coast.