United Airlines planes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Company executives call the COVID-19 pandemic the worst crisis in the airline's history.United Airlines planes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Company executives call the COVID-19 pandemic the worst crisis in the airline's history.
Demand for air travel continues to be weak, as the number of airline passengers is down about 75% compared with what it was last year at this time. And a recent uptick in demand leading into and through the July Fourth holiday weekend appears short-lived, as rising numbers of new coronavirus infections in many states have led to another sharp drop in airline bookings and an increase in passenger cancellations.
So United is warning about 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 gate agents and airport customer service representatives, 5,500 mechanics and airplane maintenance workers and 2,250 pilots, among other employees, that they may be involuntarily furloughed on Oct. 1. That's when the $5 billion in federal payroll grants that United received as part of the CARES Act runs out.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, calls the projected furlough numbers at United"a gut punch, but they are also the most honest assessment we've seen on the state of the industry."Congress allocated $25 billion in direct payroll grants to the airlines and made another $25 billion available to them in loans. United is one of 10 airlines that on Tuesday announced they had signed a letter of intent to secure the loans.
Ha ha of course it’s 1 October this all kicks off
united is just another example of profits over people. How much do their executives get paid? Did their executives get a bonus last year? Will they get a bonus this year?
thankstrump
Hey united! If you’re going to let these folks go, can you please refund my $1000 for the flight I couldn’t take due to the pandemic travel restrictions?
Sounds like another company I know.
Public radio or Marxists
united took TAXPAYER money to bailout their failing company & then proceedes to lay off thousands of employees DURING A PANDEMIC. They used our tax dollars to buy back stocks, made HUGE profits for their investors & then tossed struggling American workers out on their a$$es
Glad I have Delta status and miles that never expire. I gave up on United and never looked back.
This after a $5 billion bailout
You need to report on the insane money they spent on stock buy backs. Had they saved for a rainy day they wouldn’t be getting their workforce and asking for taxpayer bailouts. This greedy side of capitalism must end, and taxpayers should not support them. Let them fail.
United can pull themselves up from their bootstraps. No more help, they should have had an emergency fund. So irresponsible that a a few months can tank an entire company like this. They aren't a small business, how was no one at all ready for any emergency scenario ridiculous
Comparing the PPP data to my customers, we wouldve never lend to some of these guys as they are not credit worthy. Now they got millions. This is some bullsh*t.
TOO BIG TO FAIL LOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
*Shocker* who could've predicted this except literally everyone
$5 Billion bailout / 36,000 employees = $138,889 in severance per, innit? 🤷🏻♂️
Saw that happening from the moment the terms were disclosed.
Interesting.
Don’t worry. I’m sure Trump will help (if you happen to be an attractive cabin attendant).
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