American Airlines Prepares For Strike

American Airlines, bracing for a pilots’ strike, is canceling Friday night overseas flights, a spokesman said Wednesday. Negotiations continued, a mediator said, but “slowly and with increasing difficulty.”

The White House said a strike would have major economic consequences for the nation but stopped short of saying President Clinton would try to step in. The federal mediator said even the suggestion of presidential intervention was hurting the talks.

Facing a Friday midnight strike deadline, the airline acted to ensure its jets weren’t stranded overseas.

“We don’t want our airplanes sitting in other countries,” said spokesman Al Comeaux.