America West Seeks Protection From Creditors : * Airlines: The Phoenix-based carrier, the nation’s ninth largest, pledges to continue normal operations while it reorganizes its debts.

America West Airlines, pinched by higher fuel costs and the national recession, said late Thursday that it filed for bankruptcy court protection from creditors but will continue operating.

The Chapter 11 filing followed weeks of speculation in the airline industry that the nation’s ninth-largest carrier was on the verge of bankruptcy. Founded eight years ago, America West joins Continental, Pan Am and Midway on the list of airlines that have landed in bankruptcy court since the Persian Gulf crisis emerged.

“This does not mean that America West is going out of business,” said Edward R. Beauvais, the airline’s chief executive, in a news release issued from the company’s headquarters in Phoenix. “It means that America West will have the time to realign its routes and revise its organizational structure to meet the challenges that face our industry today.”

The company said it will continue normal flight operations while it restructures its debt and devises a plan to pay creditors.

“Our customers will see no change in service,” said Michael J. Conway, America West’s president. “It will be business as usual.”

The frequent-flier program, ticketing, refunds and arrangements with travel agents will continue, the company said. America West flies about 715 flights daily to 54 destinations, including all of the major Southern California airports.

The company lost $49.9 million on revenue of $353 million in the first quarter of this year, after losing $74.7 million on revenue of $1.32 billion last year.

The airline--one of the final surviving carriers launched after the deregulation of the industry--has made a variety of last-ditch efforts in recent weeks to stay aloft.

Among other things, it announced earlier this month that it would halt lease payments on its 115 aircraft to conserve cash. It also said it would skip an interest payment due Monday on its junk bonds.

In addition, America West reportedly was planning to ask the states of Arizona and Nevada, where 11,000 of its 15,000 employees work, for large amounts of financial aid.

All the while, the airline denied speculation that it was on the verge of bankruptcy, saying it was pursuing other options. A spokesman for the airline declined to comment on what prompted the decision to file for bankruptcy protection in Phoenix on Thursday and would answer no questions.

Earlier in the day, America West issued a news release to trumpet the fact that it had tied for second place in a Consumer Reports survey of airline passenger satisfaction.

“America West will emerge from this episode stronger and more successful than ever,” Conway said in a release announcing the filing. “America West was profitable prior to the Gulf crisis, and we are confident we will return to profitability as soon as we accomplish the reorganization.”

In over-the-counter trading, America West’s stock closed at $3.25, down 25 cents, before the bankruptcy announcement was issued. The stock has traded as high as $7.625 this year.