Sept 25 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) plans to

reduce service to and from Atlanta next year, affecting some

employees on the impacted routes, unions covering the carrier's

employees said on Wednesday.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said the airline

would schedule drawdowns from April next year and reduce the

number of gates to 11 from 18.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556, which

represents Southwest Airlines' ( LUV ) flight attendants, said that its

members will retain their jobs. However, approximately 200

flight attendants will be asked to relocate.

The union also added that the airline's Atlanta base will

remain open

"We continue to optimize our network to meet Customer

demand, best utilize our fleet, and maximize revenue

opportunities," Southwest ( LUV ) said in a statement.

The news comes ahead of Southwest's ( LUV ) investor day where the

company is expected to update its annual and current quarter

forecast.

The Dallas, Texas-headquartered airline is facing pressure

from activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which is

pushing for an executive shake-up and has reportedly

communicated to one of the airline's top unions it wants to

replace CEO Robert Jordan.