American Airlines apologizes for mistakenly offering voluntary leave to its pilots amidst the coronavirus

One of the major carriers in the United States, American Airline, relay their apology to their pilots after mistakenly offering them thousands of voluntary leave options as part of the company’s plan and effort to lower and cut the costs to fight the on-going crisis brought by the novel coronavirus that significantly affected the travel demand.

American Airlines had either made lapses on calculation or communication as it wrongly indicated that approximately 1,200 pilots who fly Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 can take short-term leave. Those details were received by the pilots via email from Kimball Stone, the Senior Vice President of flight operations.

This does not only happen to employees of American Airlines as their competitors like Delta Airlines and United Airlines are also urging their employees to as much as possible take either unpaid leave or partially paid leave to cut down the costs. Several actions were taken over to fight the widespread of the COVID-19 and such measures include stay at home orders and advisories and as a result, it sent air travel demand down in a fast manner.

The Congress already approved the $58 billion in aid for the U.S passengers and even cargo carriers. As an estimate, they will receive $12 billion. There’s also a relief package that accounts for $25 billion in grants for carriers if they don’t cut the salary of their workforce up until September 30.

The Forth Worth, a Texas-based American Airlines had to close to around 134,000 full-time employees as of last year and earlier this week, it starts offering its non-pilots partially paid voluntary leave. That action is used to entice more of its employees to take the said option. Around two-thirds of American Airlines pilot fly via A320 and Boeing 737. To date, it already stops most of its international service wherein the other carriers have also made. As a result, a big percentage of the pilots of larger aircraft have been offered voluntary leaves.

Kimball Stones express its apology to those who take the initiative to selflessly volunteered to leave early to reduce the cost of the airline’s expenses as well as to those who are willing to sacrifice with short leave terms which do not yet materialize. It also promises that they will take the necessary actions to do whatever they can to make things right.