Source: KITV  

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Hundreds of United Airlines employees could be laid off as the air carrier re-evaluates its ground operations at three Hawaii airports.

A United spokesperson says the airline is looking at competitive market rates to determine if it will continue providing "above-the-wing and below-the-wing" work within the company at Kona, Kahului and Lihue airports. Currently, 223 employees perform that type of service at the three airports.

United says it has begun negotiations with the union that represents the workers, and the future of their jobs in Hawaii depends on those talks.

On Wednesday, United spokesperson Christen David said the following about possible layoffs:

"We haven't made any decisions, but we must continually look for new opportunities to run a more efficient and financially sustainable business."