Airlines based in North Texas are celebrating the extension of COVID relief signed by President Donald Trump Sunday.
"I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more," the president wrote in a statement.
The $900 billion program includes $15 billion in payroll support for airlines.
When Congress first passed the measure, Doug Parker, chief executive of Fort Worth-based American Airlines, said American would bring back 1,200 pilots and 8,000 flight attendants who had been furloughed. Parker said American would also resume service to "cities and towns that rely on us."
"We are sincerely grateful to a long roster of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, as well as to President Trump and members of his administration, who understood the significance of extending the PSP. Their commitment to the livelihoods of airline workers is evident in the months of work it took to deliver this much-needed relief, and we thank them for their dedication to this effort," Parker said.
Monday morning, the chief executive of Dallas-based Southwest said the extension would prevent pay cuts or furloughs there through the end of 2021.
"I'm incredibly thankful for the thousands of Employees (and their loved ones) who used their Warrior Spirit to advocate for the PSP extension with their elected representatives in Congress, presenting impassioned pleas in an effort to save thousands of jobs—not just at Southwest—but across our industry," Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said.
In a letter to employees, Kelly said Southwest is "still overstaffed in many areas" and urged employees to participate in voluntary time-off programs where they were available.
"I know the battle isn't over, but we're resilient, and we're well prepared to fight so that Southwest emerges stronger than ever, ready to thrive for the next 50 years. And each of you will have played an important part in Southwest's finest hour," Kelly wrote.
Southwest reported a net loss of $1.2 billion in the third quarter, and its earnings in the third quarter dropped 68.2% from the third quarter of 2019.
American Airlines reported a net loss of $2.4 billion in the third quarter and a 73% reduction in revenue from the third quarter of 2019.
