A member of a ground team passes alongside American Airlines planes parked at the gate during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, April 5, 2020.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Senior executives at American Airlines backed an effort Wednesday to extend billions in federal aid to protect aviation jobs through March, as the pandemic’s impact on travel threatens tens of thousands of jobs.
Some $ 32 billion in federal aid was set aside to protect jobs in the U.S. airline industry, and it prohibited employers from cutting positions until September 30 under the CARES Act aid package that lawmakers approved in March.
But with the deadline looming and an increase in coronavirus cases in the United States hurting an incipient recovery in travel demand, some lawmakers and unions are seeking additional help. The Worker Adjustment and Recycling Notification Act requires employers to notify staff of possible layoffs or temporary licenses generally 60 days in advance, which means airlines are beginning to warn workers of possible licenses this fall.
Earlier this week, bipartisan House lawmakers, led by Representative Peter DeFazio, D.-Ore., Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, urged other members of Congress to extend the funds in a letter for the program until March 2021, which unions convened late last month.
The Trump administration and drug makers are quickly working on a Covid-19 vaccine and hope that its distribution will be approved as soon as the end of the year.
By March 2021, “there would surely be more demand for air travel and, along with that demand, much less need for involuntary permits across the industry,” wrote the airline’s CEO, Doug Parker, and its president, Robert Isom, in a note to staff, warning employees about 25,000 possible licenses.
“This is a union-led initiative across our industry, but American supports any legislation that protects the jobs of our team during these extraordinary times,” they said.
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