POLAR AIR AVERTS STRIKE

   U.S.-based cargo airline Polar Air Cargo has reached a tentative
agreement with its pilots on a contract, averting a strike at the last
minute.
   Details of the agreement haven’t been released, although the Air Line
Pilots Association said "improvements were made in the areas of wages,
pension and work rules."
   Polar began negotiating a contract with its air crews in 1997. A
"cooling-off" period instituted by federal mediators was scheduled to
expire Oct. 2. More than 98 percent of Polar’s pilots had voted to strike.
   A strike would have been devastating for Polar, which desperately needs to upgrade an aging fleet of early version B747 freighters. The airline needs a strong peak shipping period to offset financial losses the carrier suffered during the Asian financial crisis.