The coronavirus pandemic is giving birth to different situations across the globe in different sectors. The travel industry is the worst affected as governments across the globe have put in place travel restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus. The number of flights by different airlines have been suspended and some of them have given up a percent of their fleet for good. The current situation has also forced thousands of American Airline flight attendants and pilots have taken voluntary retirement or early retirement. The pandemic has dramatically reduced the number commercial flights in operation.
The unions that represent the airlines are based in Texas and had offered its employees short-term leaves that ranged from a month to a year. The packages included a few benefits and most of them had at some of their pay. The pilots and the flight attendants were also offered an option to take early retirement with full benefits and partial pay. The Allied Pilots Association reported that about 700 American pilots accepted the offer. The pilots who have accepted the offer will be able to receive 50 hours of pay in a month with full benefits that will begin at the age of 62 till the age of 65. A regular month pays the pilots for 85 to 90 hours.
Talking about the voluntary leave offer, it was accepted by 4,800 Americans and ranges from one to six months. All these pilots will receive full benefits and most of them will get 55 hours of their pay in a month. However, here the pilots need to maintain landing and simulator training so they maintain their ready-to-fly status.
The American airlines has more than 15,000 pilots who are represented by the union, who was all praises for the pilots who took coluntary retirements and said they these men and women have been with them through thick and thin. While international travel is highly restricted, the domestic travel is also severely affected.
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