United Says Pension, Retiree Costs Plummet

United Airlines’ pension and retiree medical costs have fallen dramatically since last year, the troubled airline reported in its latest quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to the report, the cost of United’s pensions fell 45% in the first half of the year to $250 million from $455 million in the first half of last year. The cost of United’s retiree medical programs fell nearly 50% to $114 million from $227 million.

The filing comes after United characterized its pension obligations as a “huge financial burden,” announced it had deferred a required quarterly payment of $72 million and said that it planned no further payments while in bankruptcy protection.