The Allied Pilots Association (APA) sent a letter to President Trump this week on behalf of the 15,000 American Airlines pilots it represents, urging an extension of the federal Payroll Support Program that ends after next month.
The airline industry had predicted a recovery by now, but APA spokesperson Gregg Overman said COVID-19 is still around so potential passengers are still afraid.
“There’s a dearth of things to do in the cities that we serve,so a lot of travelers have stayed away," Overman said. “The demand for business travel is almost nil. If you look at the statistics for travelers passing through TSA portals it’s just flat out dismal.”
Pilots support what the industry’s requesting — another $25 billion over 6 months. That could help prevent 19,000 furloughs, in the case of American Airlines. Overman said carriers are also considered critical infrastructure by the U.S. government.
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