Airline employees bracing for mass layoffs if airline companies fail to receive additional assistance

The airline industry has been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and there may be more turbulence to come, with the industry set to lay off tens of thousands of employees if it doesn’t get more help from the federal government soon.

"Over 8,000 flight attendants alone got a notice that they are facing unemployment and possibly losing their health coverage during a global pandemic, so the mood is not great," said Alana Billingsley, a Phoenix-based flight attendant for American Airlines.

Airlines like American may move to a mode of operation this fall, cutting flights in half, stopping service to several smaller cities, and laying off 19,000 employees.

"We do receive some furlough pay for a period of time, depending on how long you’ve been employed, do you want to keep active benefits for a couple of months, but after that is definitely like you were no longer employed," said Paul Hartshorn Jr., a flight attendant union representative.

The impact is not limited to airline employees. People who earn a living supporting the industry are also affected, from restaurants and hotel workers, to bus drivers and cleaning crews.

"This is going to reach all aviation employees. We really want to keep all of us connected, keep the airlines going so we can get through this and be ready to go when demand returns," said Hartshorn Jr.

It looks like Billingsley, with her 10 years experience, will stay below the radar screen and survive the first round of cuts, but without the on-time arrival of more federal funds, thousands of her coworkers will have to wing it.

"We had over 27,000 flight attendants before all this happened. They were looking at about 12,000 flight attendants when this is all said and done in October, so it’s definitely going to feel like a different airline," said Billingsley.

The stimulus money will not go to airline CEOs, or be used for stock buybacks. It’s strictly to keep workers on the job. There is no word on when Congress will make a decision, but the first stimulus money runs out on Oct. 1.