Media Briefing – November 12, 2020
November 12, 2020
Ahead of the traditional holiday travel season, A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio and subject matter experts will discuss key issues facing the U.S. airlines, including the dire state of the industry and the more urgent need for Washington to extend the Payroll Support Program (PSP). Extending the PSP is a critical step for preserving jobs, rebuilding the travel industry and restoring the economic health of our country.
Thousands of airline workers across the country have already lost their jobs – and more furloughs are expected in the coming weeks – because Congress did not extend the successful Payroll Support Program before it expired on September 30, despite strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and the Senate. More than 300 Members of Congress publicly stated their support for extending the PSP – direct payroll assistance that kept airline workers on the job and out of the unemployment lines since March.
Prior to this global health crisis, U.S. airlines were transporting a record 2.5 million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo each day. As travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders were implemented, demand for air travel declined sharply. In April, passenger volumes were down 96 percent to a level not seen since the 1950s. Although passenger volumes have rebounded some, they remain down more than 60 percent compared to 2019, and U.S. airlines are continuing to burn about $180 million of cash each day.
A4A will also address what the new travel experience entails for those who will be flying over the holidays and what airlines are doing to help keep travelers and employees safe.
WHO:
Nicholas E. Calio, President and CEO, Airlines for America
John Heimlich, Vice President and Chief Economist
Sharon Pinkerton, Senior Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Policy
Rebecca Spicer, Senior Vice President for Communications
WHEN:
Thursday, November 12, 2020
10:30 a.m. Eastern
RSVP:
To receive participation details, please RSVP to Katherine Estep (kestep@airlines.org).
Please submit questions by November 11 at 1:30 PM EST.