Between Alliance and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the Transport Workers Union says more than 800 AA Mechanics and aircraft maintenance workers are expecting pink slips the next few days, but AA says many of those employees may have other job possibilities within the company.

According to the TWU, 66 at DFW are getting them starting Thursday and 750 are expected to receive them beginning tonight through Monday at Alliance.

American Airlines spokesperson Bruce Hicks shared the following statement with NBC 5 Thursday:

“As we have previously said, we have been able to significantly reduce the number of furloughs for our TWU-represented Mechanics and Material Logistics Specialists. Through contractual changes negotiated with the TWU and the voluntary separation packages, along with the number of vacant positions available throughout the system, we now expect as few as 290 furloughs – more than 90 percent less than the 4,600 positions we anticipated when we started the restructuring process and more than 85 percent less than the 1,972 Mechanics and Material Logistics Specialists that were sent reduction letters.

Despite the significantly reduced numbers of furloughs, involuntary separations are an unfortunate but necessary part of the restructuring process. We are providing career counseling and other resources to affected employees to help during this transition.”

The difference in the numbers are due to job vacancies in the maintenance functions the company will continue to perform on its own and that many of the people who's current jobs are being eliminated may find other jobs in the company.

The company is planning to outsource heavy aircraft maintenance work it used to perform to reduce expenses in bankruptcy reorganization.

Hicks said American was the last large carrier still doing that heavy maintenance with its own people.

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