American Airlines to Move Ahead With 19,000 Furloughs: CEO

American Airlines to Move Ahead With 19,000 Furloughs: CEO
American Airlines. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Reuters
Updated:

CHICAGO—American Airlines is moving ahead with 19,000 employee furloughs on Thursday, Chief Executive Doug Parker said in a memo to employees on Wednesday.

U.S. airlines have asked the U.S. Congress to extend a $25 billion payroll support program that protected jobs until Oct. 1 for another six months.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday he is talking to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and is “hopeful” about finding consensus for a new economic stimulus deal, which will address several major issues, including small business loans, funding for schools, direct payments to individuals, airline aid, and employee retention tax credits.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.