Southwest, American tighten mask rules; Delta widens testing
The moves come as airlines try to reassure passengers and their own employees about safety during a pandemic that has made many people afraid to fly.
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United Airlines sending layoff notices to nearly half of U.S. employees
The furloughs would include 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 customer service and gate agents, 5,500 maintenance workers and 2,250 pilots.
American Airlines to begin booking flights to full capacity
American’s move matches the policy of United Airlines but contrasts sharply with rivals that limit bookings to create space between passengers to minimize the risk of contagion.
U.S. airlines could ban travelers who refuse to wear masks
Airlines for America, a trade organization, said a group of major American airlines will begin “vigorously” enforcing face-covering policies after reports of travelers not being held to the safety standard.
Airlines aiming for takeoff as lockdowns ease, demand rises
After a pronounced slump in air travel in the spring, airlines are adding back flights as they hope to salvage some lost revenue during the key summer travel season.
United Airlines to require that passengers pass health checklist
As states and localities reopen for business, carriers are developing procedures to ensure that flying is safe.
Airline stocks soar as American, United add back flights
American Airlines said it will aggressively add back flights in July, while United Airlines also announced plans to add back flights, while taking a more cautious approach.
Boeing cuts 12,000 jobs, resumes production of grounded jet
Shortly after disclosing the job cuts, Boeing announced Wednesday that it has resumed production of the grounded 737 Max jetliner. Two deadly crashes of Max jets pushed Boeing into a financial crisis months before the coronavirus squeezed global air travel to a trickle.
Southwest posts first quarterly loss in almost a decade
The airline said trip cancellations have pulled back from a peak in March but remain at levels that Southwest has never seen, as customers scrap plans to travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
Major airlines line up to split $25 billion in federal payroll aid
Indianapolis-based Republic Airways told The Wall Street Journal that it was still in discussions with the Treasury.
Airlines wait as Treasury applies strings to pandemic payroll aid
The U.S. Treasury Department and leading airlines continued negotiating Monday over terms of relief payments, with the Treasury sticking to a proposal that could give the government an ownership stake in the nation’s leading carriers.
Pandemic reduces air travel to numbers seen at dawn of jet age
The number of Americans getting on airplanes has sunk to a level not seen in more than 60 years, as people shelter in their homes to avoid catching or spreading the new coronavirus.
For Republic Airways, virus thwarts years of progress
The entire airline industry is in crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying recommendations and mandates for social distancing.
Cheap fares luring travelers to fly despite pandemic
Airlines are seeing bookings plummet and cancellations soar as fear of infection causes many Americans to avoid flying. That’s leading to drastically reduced ticket prices.
United Airlines to cut capacity by 50%, warns cuts could last until summer
United said Sunday night it expects planes to be only 20% to 30% full at best, down from nearly 90% before the virus hit. The airline said the cuts could extend into the peak summer travel season.
Virus screenings jam US airports; ‘atrocious,’ a flyer says
The dense crowds Saturday at some of the 13 airports where travelers from Europe are being funneled—among the busiest across the country—formed even as public health officials called for “social distancing” to stem the spread of the pandemic.
UPDATE: Trump suspends travel between U.S., Europe for 30 days
President Donald Trump said he is suspending all travel between the United States and Europe beginning Friday as he seeks to combat the viral pandemic. The move was one of several executive actions he announced to the nation Wednesday night.
Airlines slash flights, freeze hiring as virus cuts travel
Delta, the world’s biggest airline, said it will cut international flights by 20% to 25% and reduce U.S. flying by 10% to 15%, roughly matching cuts previously announced by United Airlines.
Airlines foresee first global traffic drop since 2003
The airline industry expects the first annual decline in global passenger demand in 17 years, after tallying up the initial impact of the thousands of flights canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
Regional airline to add base, new nonstop routes at Indianapolis International Airport
The airline, which plans to create 55 jobs and establish three nonstop routes from Indianapolis, plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, customer service agents, mechanics and ground personnel to support the new operations.