ate ▁itself ▁from ▁its ▁b arg ain ▁compet itors , ▁Eastern ▁began ▁a ▁market ing ▁campaign ▁stress ing ▁its ▁quality ▁of ▁service ▁and ▁its ▁rank ▁of ▁highly ▁experienced ▁pil ots . ▁ ▁S ale ▁to ▁Texas ▁Air ▁ ▁Unable ▁to ▁keep ▁up , ▁B orm an ▁agreed ▁to ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁the ▁air line ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁to ▁Texas ▁Air . ▁Led ▁by ▁Frank ▁Lorenzo , ▁he ▁had ▁already ▁purchased ▁Cont inental ▁Airlines ▁and ▁lost ▁a ▁b idd ing ▁war ▁for ▁T WA ▁to ▁Carl ▁I c ahn . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁Federal ▁A viation ▁Administration ▁im posed ▁a ▁$ 9 . 5 ▁million ▁fine ▁against ▁Eastern ▁Air ▁L ines ▁for ▁safety ▁viol ations , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁fine ▁ass essed ▁against ▁an ▁air line ▁until ▁American ▁Airlines ▁was ▁f ined ▁$ 2 4 . 2 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Phil ▁B akes , ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Air ▁L ines , ▁announced ▁plans ▁to ▁lay ▁off ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁employees ▁and ▁eliminate ▁and ▁reduce ▁service ▁to ▁air ports ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁United ▁States ; ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁air line ▁was ▁going ▁" back ▁to ▁our ▁roots " ▁in ▁the ▁East . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Eastern ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁corpor ate ▁employ er ▁in ▁the ▁Miami ▁area ▁and ▁remained ▁so ▁after ▁the ▁cut s . ▁John ▁Nord heimer ▁wrote ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁that