Travelers wearing protective masks cross a street outside a Southwest Airlines Co. check-in area at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Southwest Airlines is warning 1,200 pilots and 1,500 flight attendants could be furloughed, labor unions said Thursday.
Southwest like other airlines has been struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. If Southwest moves ahead with the job cuts, they would be among the first involuntary furloughs in Southwest’s nearly 50 years of flying.
“Today marks a sad milestone in the history of Southwest Airlines,” Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Pilots Association, the labor union that represents roughly 9,000 pilots at the carrier, said in a video message, which was seen by CNBC. “While this development is not completely surprising, it is incredibly disappointing to our pilots and their families.”
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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