Delta Says It Can Avoid Flight Attendant Layoffs

With that Oct. 1 date looming, where airlines expect to lay off tens of thousands of workers if the industry doesn’t receive an extension of the government stimulus package, Delta Air Lines on Friday night said it will not have to furlough or lay off any of its flight attendants this year.

The popular airline blog View From The Wing broke the news.

To date, 17,000 Delta workers have taken the buyout or early retirement option.

“We’re grateful for the continued rallying spirit of Delta people during the pandemic,” a Delta spokesperson told View From The Wing. “With the overwhelming response of flight attendants choosing to participate in our creative staffing options – and based on our current network schedule – we are positioned well to be able to successfully manage through our flight attendant overstaffing situation.”

Airlines are pressuring Congress for a second round of federal grants and loans to help the industry avoid mass layoffs. In accepting the March terms of the CARES Act, carriers agreed not to furlough any employees for six months. That restriction runs out on Oct. 1.

Delta hasn’t completely avoided layoffs; the Atlanta-based airline said it would need to ‘right-size’ for the fall by furloughing 2,500 pilots.

But that’s far less than the tens of thousands American and United said they might have to lay off if Congress doesn’t act soon. President Trump said he supports such a move and will help the struggling airlines.