American Airlines plans to cancel voluntary leaves for flight attendants later this year

American Airlines plans to cancel voluntary vacations of its flight attendants in November, December, and January as an increase in vacation travel is expected to create additional staffing needs.

How many flights will be canceled is unclear, according to a letter from the association of professional flight attendants to its 28,000 members. Under a July 2020 agreement between the Fort Worth-based airline and the union, the airline can cancel or reduce the vacation with at least 60 days’ notice if more flight attendants are needed.

Voluntary vacation was one of the steps American Airlines took over the past year to slow its losses as the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the air travel industry. The airline offered pilots voluntary leave of one month to six months and up to a year for flight attendants. Both groups were also offered early retirement packages.

In April and May last year, 4,800 pilots were given leave of absence and 715 were given early retirement. Around 7,200 flight attendants said goodbye and 760 took early retirement.

Over a year after the company gave up about a third of its employee vacation and retirement packages, American resumed operations as flights returned to full in March and the company posted revenue in June, the first month in over a year.

On Tuesday, American Airlines said it was on the recovery path and had multiple corporate highs in a quarterly investor update.

According to a letter to staff from CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom, the airline made $ 100 million a day from $ 100 million a day at the height of the pandemic for the three-month period April-June.

The company called back a number of flight attendants on leave before the summer travel season.

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