American Airlines and United Airlines have sent furlough notices to over 32,000 workers, as Congress engages in last-minute discussions regarding additional pandemic aid.
United sent notices to 13,000 workers. Over 19,000 workers at American received a similar notification.
Doug Parker, CEO of American, said the furloughs would be reversed if Washington passed another relief package.
The prospects of a new package are unclear. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded several hours of talks Wednesday afternoon without a new deal on a coronavirus aid package, but the two sides said they would continue to negotiate.
The CARES Act enacted in March provided the airline industry $25 billion in aid as long as no workers were furloughed before Oct. 1. The airline executives have asked for an additional $25 billion in aid, which would be expected to help keep workers employed through March 2021.
