In his first efforts to get there, the Arlington, Va.-based airline's Chief Executive David Siegel shook up the ranks of the upper levels - only four weeks after he himself took charge - and named Neal Cohen to chief financial officer and promoted a number of other executives late Thursday.

Shares of US Airways (U: news, chart, profile) closed up 19 cents, or over 3 percent, to $6.29.

The rest of the sector was mixed, but the key yardstick, the Amex Airline Index (XX:$XAL: news, chart, profile) was higher by a tad to stay just above the 100-mark.

Airtran (AAI: news, chart, profile) rose 13 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $5.90, while Continental (CAL: news, chart, profile) was up 12 cents to $28.08 while UAL Corp. (UAL: news, chart, profile) slipped 12 cents to $14.90.

Delta Air Lines (DAL: news, chart, profile) fell 21 cents to $29.61. America West (AWA: news, chart, profile) was higher by 5 cents to $5.17.

AMR (AMR: news, chart, profile) was down 22 cents at $24.76; Southwest Airlines (LUV: news, chart, profile) was lower by 43 cents to $18.51. Northwest (NWAC: news, chart, profile) slipped 27 cents to $18.88.