Delta CEO sends staff memo thanking 17,000 employees for leaving, says it gets airline closer to ‘minimizing furloughs’

The CEO of Delta Thursday said more than 17,000 employees — close to a fifth of its staff — have chosen to leave the company as it reels from the coronavirus pandemic, but it doesn’t appear to be enough to take involuntary furloughs completely off the table. Delta and other airlines have urged their employees to take buyouts, early retirement and unpaid packages as the sector’s financial losses pile up. “I know these were difficult, personal decisions for everyone and their families,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a memo to staff. “Each person who has opted to exit voluntarily moves us closer to our goal of minimizing furloughs and positioning Delta to weather the choppy recovery in the months and years ahead.” Under the terms of a $25b federal aid package, airlines are prohibited from laying off workers until Oct. 1. Federal rules generally require employers to inform workers at least 60 days ahead of time if their jobs are at risk, which would fall this weekend. Delta has already warned more than 2,500 of its 14,000 pilots about potential furloughs. The pilots’ labor union is sparring with the company after the airline urged aviators to take reductions to minimum pay to avoid involuntary cuts for a year.<br/>