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AMERICAN Airlines fears as many as 13,000 workers could lose their jobs amid uncertainty over its future as demand for travel remains stagnant due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A US aid package for airline workers is set to expire on April, but unions are pressing for a further $15 billion (£11bn) to protect jobs through the summer.
United Airlines has sent fresh furlough warnings to 14,000 employees, while Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have initiated voluntary leave programmes to avert lay-offs.
“We are nearly five weeks into 2021 and, unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation similar to much of 2020,” American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker and president Robert Isom said in a statement.
“The vaccine is not being distributed as quickly as any of us believed and new restrictions on international travel that require customers to have a negative Covid-19 test have dampened demand,” they noted.
The company furloughed some 19,000 staff in October after the last aid package expired but recalled them in December following a new US government cash boost for the aviation industry.
American Airlines saw its revenue decrease by 62 per cent last year and reported an annual loss of $8.9bn (£6.5bn). It is considering measures including voluntary furlough and early retirement.
President Joe Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion (£1.4tn) relief package, which is being debated in Congress.