American Airlines says to start furloughing 19,000 workers

American Airlines will begin furloughing 19,000 workers from Thursday, the company announced, as US officials have failed to reach a deal on fresh aid to the pandemic-hit air travel sector. US carriers that received billions in aid from Congress had promised to refrain from laying off workers until the end of September, setting the stage for potentially thousands of job cuts in October. "Our elected officials have not been able to reach agreement on a Covid-19 relief package... As a result, tomorrow, we will begin the difficult process of furloughing 19,000 of our hardworking and dedicated colleagues," CEO Doug Parker said in a letter Wednesday. However, he sounded a note of hope saying that if lawmakers are able to hammer out a deal for new assistance, the furloughs would be cancelled and the affected teams recalled.<br/>