Southwest pulls threat of furloughs after relief bill signed
American and United Airlines, which together furloughed 32,000 employees in October, said Monday they will bring those workers back temporarily.
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Despite health warnings, holiday travel has already set record for busiest weekend of pandemic
The 3.2 million passengers screened Friday, Saturday and Sunday mark the only time during the pandemic that over 1 million air travelers were seen three days in a row nationwide.
Southwest warns nearly 7,000 workers of possible furloughs
Southwest Airlines said the workers could lose their jobs unless labor unions accept concessions to help the airline cope with a sharp drop in travel caused by the pandemic.
U.S. tightens definition of service animals allowed on planes
Under the final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, a service animal is defined as a dog trained to help a person with a disability.
Holiday air travel surges despite dire health warnings
Nearly 1.2 million people passed through U.S. airports Sunday, the greatest number since the pandemic gripped the country in March, despite pleas from health experts for Americans to stay home over Thanksgiving.
Many Americans flying for holiday despite CDC pleas
More than 2 million people were screened at U.S. airports on Friday and Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Friday was only the second time since mid-March that daily airport screenings topped 1 million.
FAA clears Boeing 737 Max aircraft to fly again after 20-month review
Regulators around the world grounded the Max in March 2019, after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet. That happened less than five months after another Max flown by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea.
Delta, United and Alaska Airlines have banned more than 900 passengers for not wearing masks
With airlines imposing mandatory mask requirements on flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, many unhappy passengers have made headlines for being removed from flights for refusing to wear a mask.
Airlines face winter survival test after virus slows rebound
The pain is evident across the globe, where airlines have rescinded earlier forecasts that called for traffic to gradually increase toward normal levels during the fourth quarter.
American, Southwest, Alaska add to airline loss parade in third quarter
Combined with earlier losses reported by Delta and United, the four largest U.S. airlines have lost at least $10 billion in each of the last two quarters. A recent uptick in passengers, however modest, has provided some hope.
U.S. air passengers exceed 1 million, first time since March
People have incrementally returned to the skies, but in far fewer numbers than normal. The seven-day average as of Sunday was 871,513, or 35.6% of the equivalent week last year.
Airline industry fights for financial relief in one form or another
Aviation leaders had hoped to be included in a broader pandemic relief package, but once it became clear that the White House was done negotiating, industry leaders quickly shifted focus to a stand-alone bill.
Congress taking another run at airline bailout
House Democrats on Friday proposed a new $28.8 billion bailout for the airline industry after the carriers began furloughs of more than 32,000 workers to cut costs during a pandemic that has devastated air travel.
Airlines say furloughs will begin Thursday after no relief deal is reached
U.S. airlines said they will begin furloughing tens of thousands of employees on Thursday, but they left open the possibility that workers could be called back if a federal relief package is reached in the next few days.
United Airlines reaches deal with pilots, avoids furloughs
The Air Line Pilots Association said Monday that the deal will allow United to spread a reduced amount of flying across the airline’s 13,000 pilots to save jobs at least until June.
Airline industry pleads for mandatory virus tests to prop up demand
While the call for testing isn’t new, the outlook has turned increasingly grim for airlines taking stock of a disappointing summer with rising infection rates and restrictions dashing hopes for a recovery.
Growing number of airlines offer ‘flights to nowhere’ as international travel remains stalled
Qantas, among the latest to advertise a flight that departs and arrives at the same airport with no stops along the way, said the trip sold out less than 10 minutes after going on sale.
Travelers nervous about flying with commercial airlines are turning to charters instead
According to FlightAware statistics, on Aug. 23, U.S. airlines operated 15,419 flights, down 45% from a year earlier. On that same day, the United States saw 8,883 business aviation flights—down only 4% from a year earlier.
Indianapolis International Airport getting new flights to Cancun, Memphis
American Airlines plans to offer seasonal flights to Cancun beginning in December, and Delta Air Lines will begin offering flights to Memphis starting Oct. 1.
Delta, American join United in dropping most U.S. change fees
Southwest Airlines didn’t levy the $200 change fees to start with, so Monday’s announcements mean that the four biggest U.S. carriers will have roughly similar policies.