US: Airlines on track to get $15b in federal aid, must call back more than 32,000 furloughed workers

US airlines could receive $15b in additional federal aid to pay their workers under the latest bipartisan coronavirus relief package, which could be finalized as early as Sunday, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the new round of aid, carriers would have to call back more than 32,000 workers who were furloughed this fall. The CARES Act in March had allotted $25b for airlines on the condition that they maintained minimum service levels and kept workers on payroll through Sept. 30. Labor unions and airlines urged lawmakers to approve additional aid as furloughs loomed, but Congress and the White House remained at odds over a deal for a national coronavirus aid package. After the conditions of the original aid expired, United and American Airlines in October started furloughing about 32,000 employees, while those carriers and other airlines have shed tens of thousands of other jobs after urging workers to take buyouts and early retirement. The additional support for the struggling sector would keep airline workers on payroll until the end of March, if approved. The TSA Sunday said it screened 1.07m people at US airports, up 25% from a week earlier but less than half of the nearly 2.5m people it screened a year ago.<br/>