American could furlough 13,000 workers amid pandemic

American Airlines Inc. sent a letter warning around 13,000 employees that they could be furloughed after the company’s federal aid expires at the end of March, media reported. United Airlines circulated a similar memo last week.

“The vaccine is not being distributed as quickly as any of us believed, and new restrictions on international travel that require customers to have a negative COVID-19 test have dampened demand,” the letter said. Late last year, the airline stated that its flights in the first quarter of 2021 will be more than halved compared to the same period in 2019.

Breaking the News / DJ