Southwest Bringing Back 3,000 Crew Members for Summer

The signs of a travel rebound from the coronavirus pandemic are obvious now and continuing throughout the industry.

The latest?

Southwest Airlines is bringing back nearly 3,000 crew members for what it expects to be a busy summer season. The Dallas-based airline is recalling 2,700 flight attendants and more than 200 pilots, according to Fox Business.

The recall is to “support the upcoming summer schedule,” a Southwest spokesperson told FOX Business on Friday.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has screened more than 1 million passengers every day since March 11, the most prolonged travel rebound since the pandemic started.

According to the spokesperson, the airline is recalling all of its flight attendants who chose to participate in its Extended Time-Off Program. They will return to work on June 1.

The airline will be bringing back 209 pilots who also voluntarily participated in the Extended Time-Off Program. Just like the flight attendants, the pilots will return to work on June 1.

The Southwest spokesperson added that all pilots who return to work must complete “all requalification training requirements prior to resuming flying duties.”