Catherwood LibraryILR School

Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland said Thursday that the carrier will soon embark on its "largest training initiative in over a decade" to help employees improve customer service after years of cost-cutting. Speaking to an industry audience in New York, Steenland said that Northwest is committed to "a laser-like focus on customers in order to meet their needs." With oil hovering above $80 a barrel, Steenland also warned that passengers could see fares rise across the industry. Steenland, who led Northwest through a 20-month bankruptcy that ended in May, said the airline now has a "competitive cost structure," but that it is merely "the opening ante" of what's needed to succeed.