Source: Chicago Tribune

United Airlines, which emerged from bankruptcy last month, expects to hire as many as 4,000 employees this year.

The positions include flight attendants for domestic and international operations and customer service workers, a spokeswoman for the carrier said.

United left bankruptcy on Feb. 1. In the three years it operated under court protection, the Elk Grove Township-based carrier cut nearly 25,000 jobs.

Now, the airline's priorities include "the important investments that we are making in our people and our ability to deliver on customers' expectations," Chief Executive Glenn Tilton said in a message to employees Thursday.

The positions include about 2,000 domestic flight attendants, many of whom are already in training, and 250 international flight attendants.

The positions include about 2,000 domestic flight attendants, many of whom are already in training, and 250 international flight attendants.

The remainder includes a variety of open positions, most of them in customer service areas, said spokeswoman Jean Medina.

The airline has adopted new recruiting methods, said Randy Rotondo, managing director of human resources. Candidates for some positions are being recruited from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Columbia School of Business, he said.