The US Airline Pilots Association paid for a full-page advertisement in USA Today on Wednesday accusing US Airways of "a program of intimidation to pressure your captain to reduce fuel loads."

Now the union that represents 175 flight dispatchers, who plan fuel loads with pilots, say the pilots' union is blowing hot air and trying to scare the flying public.

If US Airways were going to pressure anyone to reduce fuel, it would be the flight dispatchers, said Transport Workers Union Local 545 president Don Wright.

"These claims are nothing more than hot air," Wright said.

The TWU said the pilots' union is trying to embarrass the company, and scare the public, because it is embroiled in a contract dispute with US Airways management over labor issues.

All airlines are concerned about trimming weight, "but we're also concerned about making sure that planes have more than enough fuel" to deal with traffic delays and weather, Wright said.

"I can say unequivocally that there has been absolutely no pressure" on dispatchers to reduce fuel loads.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires all flights to have enough fuel for 45 minutes of extra flying time. US Airways carries enough fuel to fly an additional 60 to 90 minutes, the TWU said.

The fuel flap came to light after eight senior pilots and the pilots' union filed complaints with the FAA - and took out the newspaper ad.

The pilots' union contends that US Airways recently ordered the pilots who requested an extra 10 to 15 minutes worth of fuel to attend training sessions that could put their pilot licenses in jeopardy, the pilots' union spokesman, Capt. James Ray, told the Associated Press.

US Airways said in a message to employees yesterday that the eight pilots were adding fuel to their loads "much more frequently than their peers," and so were asked to attend training sessions.

The FAA said it did not have evidence that US Airways had violated the regulation.

at 215-854-2831 or lloyd@phillynews.com.