Aviation Industry Looking for Another $15 Billion From Congress

A coalition of aviation unions is banding together to pressure Congress for another $15 billion extension in funds to avoid what it says would be “wide-scale layoffs” when current protections run out.

In a letter signed by seven union heads and sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with other Congressional leaders, the unions – representing pilots, flight attendants and other workers – said in the letter that “Without these actions, wide-scale layoffs in the industry will begin as early as March 31st,” according to Business Insider.

The industry received $25 billion in March of 2020 with the initial stimulus package known as the CARES Act. Part of accepting grants and loans was a proviso that airlines not furlough any workers until Sept. 30; when that date arrived, there were mass layoffs.

Although the airlines hired back most of those employees in December of 2020 when Congress passed a second relief bill that provided $15 billion, the same stipulation on not laying off employees was put in place.

But that ends March 31 of this year, and now the unions want another $15 billion to extend the Payroll Support Program (PSP) through September 30.

“With vaccination in its early stages, this is a critical moment for the country and the industry. The continuation of PSP will ensure that we emerge from the pandemic in the strongest possible position and ready to get America moving,” the unions wrote.

Already, United Airlines has warned it could lay off 14,000 employees beginning April 1.