Air Wisconsin to lay off 140 first officers

Air Wisconsin (ZW, Appleton) has notified the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that it will lay off 140 unionised first officers effective April 1, 2021, due to diminished operations for United Airlines (UA, Chicago O’Hare). “At this point in time, this is a temporary layoff. The layoff time period is unknown, as it will be dependent on the increase in travel demands and United Airlines’ need for Air Wisconsin’s flying services,” the regional capacity provider said in the notice. Air Wisconsin operates sixty-four CRJ200s exclusively on behalf of United Airlines, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. Although its headquarters are in Appleton, WI, it does not maintain any crew bases in its home state. According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Air Wisconsin operates United regional services out of Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare, focussing on serving the East Coast and the Midwest. In Wisconsin, the airline serves Appleton, Wausau Mosinee, Milwaukee General Mitchell, and Green Bay, connecting each of the cities with United’s hub at nearby Chicago O’Hare. The airline also operates the Appleton-Denver Int’l route for United. United Airlines itself warned that up to 14,000 jobs at the carrier could be at risk in April, once current federal payroll support expires. Contrary to the notice filed by Air Wisconsin, however, United’s warning covers all position groups except for pilots. Airlines receiving payroll support are banned from implementing any involuntary lay-offs through the end of the scheme, due to expire on March 31, 2021.