US airlines renew job warnings as United Air sees 14,000 at risk

Bloomberg

United Airlines Holdings notified 14,000 employees that their jobs will be at risk in April after the second round of federal payroll support expires, saying the coronavirus pandemic still weighs heavily on the travel outlook.
The new notices cover every work group except pilots, United said. Last month, US airlines recalled furloughed workers after Congress renewed federal aid for the industry through March 31.
“Despite ongoing efforts to distribute vaccines, customer demand has not changed much since we recalled those employees,” United said in a message to employees.
The warning underscores the uncertain outlook at airlines, which are still reeling from an unprecedented decline in air travel because of the coronavirus pandemic. American Airlines Group Inc may have to issue a second round of furlough notices when federal aid expires, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker told employees in a meeting to discuss the carrier’s fourth-quarter loss.
“Demand has not returned as quickly as we had hoped, so there’s a chance we’ll be in a position where we have more team members than we need to operate the summer schedule,” said Matt Miller, a spokesman for American.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is talking with its unions about options, Parker told financial analysts.
The company has already agreed to another round of voluntary leaves and early exits, Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants told members.
The union “is not interested in offering concessions,” Hedrick said. The APFA and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Congressional leaders requesting $15 billion for a
third round of airline payroll support, with funding through September 30.