Pan Am clipper, Vol. 6, No. 1-2, January 1980

              
Seawell said the merger will mean better career opportunities for Pan Am and National employees than could have been possible if the two airlines had remained separate.
Emphasizing a central theme, Pan Am President Dan Colussy told a Jan. 7 news conference in New York:
“One point I want to make clear: This is a merger of equals, each with unique skills and strengths. We welcome National people as equals. We will need everybody’s best efforts to make the new Pan Am the better, more competitive airline it can be.”
Seawell, Colussy and William R.
National’s extensive U.S. route system serving the East Coast and Sun Belt to Pan Am’s international system.
The merger capped an effort of more than a year by Pan Am to acquire National to give it the domestic routes it needs to compete effectively in the 1980s and beyond. The merger was approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board in October and by President Carter on Dec. 22, 1979.
Chairman Seawell said Pan Am will continue to use the National name for all former National services at least through mid-summer, while the complicated details of
PART OF THE SAME TEAM, NOW—Pan Am and National employees in Miami join hands as the merger of the two airlines is officially consummated. From the left are Pan Am Captain Ed Wilken, National Flight Attendant Nicholette Figueroa, Pan Am Sky Cap Willie Daniels, National Porter Ralph J. Bass, Pan Am Senior Passenger Service Agent Willie Dykes, National Ticket Agent John A. Rivas, Pan Am Flight Attendant Maria Green and National Captain Donald B. Lovern.
Hello, Sun King
We’ve got a PAN*A*Marriage
It’s official!
The “new Pan Am,” a stronger airline combining the strengths of Pan American World Airways and National Airlines, officially took off Jan. 7 when the merger became effective.
Pan Am Chairman William T. Seawell called the merger “one of the biggest milestones ever for Pan Am,” and said it puts the strengthened airline in a better position “to cope with today’s airline problems while at the same time bringing better customer service to the public.”
Roy, vice president and merger coordinator, outlined consolidation plans for the press at the Jan. 7 briefing session.
Also at the session, Seawell presented Pan Am wings to two National people, Captain Don Lovem and Flight Attendant Linda Miller. “Welcome aboard,” the chairman told the smiling pair.
Under the merger, National, with about 8350 employees, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Pan Am, which has about 28,200 employees. The merger joins
consolidating the two carriers into a “single, more efficient and competitive airline” continue to move ahead. He said planning so far has been extremely orderly.” Interim operation of National is designed to protect the Miami-based airline’s profits and customer identity, Seawell explained.
During the interim, the National
employee uniforms will wear the same Pan Am wings Seawell presented to Capt. Lovem and Flight Attendant Miller. With full consolidation, everyone will wear new Pan Am uniforms.
While all employees naturally were eager to learn details of their jobs, benefits and supervisors, the continued on page 10
Interim Pan Am/National logo

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Jan.-Feb. ’80
Volume 6 Number 1-2
Welcome to the new Pan Am.
It will take the best efforts and cooperation of all of us to convert two outstanding airlines into the new Pan Am. But the end result can be a stronger company and a brighter future for us all.
I particularly want to commend both Pan Am and National employees for their dedication and professionalism in the past year, during the long and arduous effort to achieve this merger. Your continued superb performance can assure success in the difficult times ahead. The merger brings together an outstanding collection of special skills and an enviable record of experience. Consolidating these talents gives us our strongest asset.
It is a complex task to put together a single company. Our Job now is to get It done as quickly as possible with a minimum of problems. The sooner we get It accomplished, the faster we will become more competitive and bring about greater security and career opportunities.
I call it the new Pan Am because all of us are Joining together as equals for this effort. Working closely together, we can achieve the synergy we must have to compete more effectively. This synergy Is vitally needed, as soon as possible, to meet the deteriorating situation faced by the airline Industry In these times of soaring fuel prices and a weakened U.S. economy.
Some National and Pan Am functions are being combined Immediately, and we can complete the process by about mid-year. Whether that happens depends on mutual cooperation, particularly among the various unions. Federal law guarantees the Pan Am and National unions an orderly process to reach long-range agreement on major Issues. To achieve consolidation and benefits of synergy promptly, our employees will need to work side by side while any remaining outstanding Issues are dealt with.
I'm sure you have questions about your Jobs and assignments — particularly our colleagues from National. We are working on a system to answer these questions promptly.
Meanwhile, please direct your Inquiries to department heads. They don't have all the answers yet, but they will keep you up to date on developments.
There Is still much to do. But I have no doubt that together, we can handle the Job.
Let's go.
Sincerely,
William T. Seawell '
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Law judge told:
Keep the best on Miami-London route
Civil Aeronautics Board Administrative Law Judge Elias Rodriguez is expected to make a recommendation to the Board in late February on which airline should be authorized to provide Miami-London service. Rodriguez’s decision follows briefs filed with the CAB on Jan. 17, and hearings held during December.
Meanwhile, Pan Am/National will continue to operate the route until permanent authority is awarded, or until the CAB selects a replacement carrier. The final CAB decision will be subject to Presidential review.
During the hearings, testimony by Bruce Cunningham, system director-airline planning, and Bob Pablo, system director-fuel purchase, maintained that a major advantage for Pan Am is the company’s ability to serve Miami-London via Heathrow Airport.
“We are the only applicant in the case who can be certain of serving Heathrow. We are National’s corporate successor and will receive National’s grandfather rights at Heathrow under the United Kingdom airports policy,” the testimony
stated. Pan Am pointed out that the airport’s policy has changed significantly since the CAB indicated that applicants for the route should assume they will be able to serve the London airport of their choice. “The U.K. has made it clear in a new expression of policy that any carrier not currently serving Heathrow will not be permitted to do so,” Pan Am noted.
The Pan Am officials said that while there is a “reasonable possibility” that TWA might be able to serve Miami-London out of Heathrow, “Pan Am is the only carrier that will definitely be able to do so. All other applicants would be required to serve Gatwick.”
The company position is that the ability to serve Heathrow will mean that Pan Am is able to offer Miami - London service superior to that of other applicants and to compete on a more equal basis with British Airways, which serves the route via Heathrow.
Noting that National gained considerable experience and knowledge of market characteristics in the pro-
cess of developing the route on both sides of the Atlantic, Pan Am said that it “will preserve National’s organization and build on its experience as we expand our London-Miami operation.”
The Pan Am officials told Rodriguez that the Miami-London route was an important factor in the company’s decision to seek a merger with National and that “the considerations which led us to seek this route in the merger case apply with even greater force today.”
Pointing out that the route is characterized by an extremely high proportion of European-originating traffic who use the services to fly to vacation destinations in Florida, Pan Am said that the merged airline would be in an “excellent position” to reverse British Airways” dominance of the route. “To begin with, Pan Am’s intra-European sales and route network will enable us to compete more effectively within Europe than any other applicant for ‘sunshine’ passengers,” Rodriguez was told. Within the continued on page 2
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