9 July 2020 (Chania, Crete) – Just how earth-shattering is the collapse in air travel? Yesterday, United Airlines warned nearly half of its U.S. staff – 36,000 people – they could be furloughed starting 1st October. Under the plan (which the company called a “last resort”), flight attendants would be the hardest hit, followed by customer service and gate agents, maintenance workers, then pilots.
While devastating, the move is in line with the historic crisis facing aviation. Said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants:
The United Airlines projected furlough numbers are a gut punch, but they are also the most honest assessment we’ve seen on the state of the industry.
The state of the industry: Despite an influx of funds from the government, United is still burning through $40 million a day as travelers ditch TSA for the highway. As of July 1, United’s hub in Newark recorded near-term net bookings of just ~16% compared to last year, per the Wall Street Journal.
+ Final interesting fact: Due to the quirks of coronavirus-era air travel, the busiest airport in the world in May and June was … Dallas-Fort Worth International.