United Faces Cloudy Future

By Liane Hansen

Published December 7, 2002 at 9:00 PM PST

The future is uncertain for United Airlines after last week's denial by a federal panel of the carrier's request for $1.8 billion in loan guarantees. United seems likely to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Michael Levine, a Yale law professor and former airline executive.

Liane Hansen

Liane Hansen has been the host of NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday for 20 years. She brings to her position an extensive background in broadcast journalism, including work as a radio producer, reporter, and on-air host at both the local and national level. The program has covered such breaking news stories as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Columbia shuttle tragedy. In 2004, Liane was granted an exclusive interview with former weapons inspector David Kay prior to his report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The show also won the James Beard award for best radio program on food for a report on SPAM.