US airlines renew job warnings as United sees 14,000 at risk

United notified 14,000 employees that their jobs will be at risk in April after the second round of federal payroll support expires, saying the coronavirus pandemic still weighs heavily on the travel outlook. The new notices cover every work group except pilots, United said. Last month, US airlines recalled furloughed workers after Congress renewed federal aid for the industry through March 31. “Despite ongoing efforts to distribute vaccines, customer demand has not changed much since we recalled those employees,” United said in a message to employees Friday. The warning underscores the uncertain outlook at airlines, which are still reeling from an unprecedented decline in air travel because of the coronavirus pandemic. American Airlines Group may have to issue a second round of furlough notices when federal aid expires, CEO Doug Parker told employees in a meeting to discuss the carrier’s Q4 loss. At United, a spokeswoman said the carrier would strive to lower the actual number of job cuts, just as it did last fall after initially sending federal WARN Act notices to 36,000 employees in July. The Chicago-based company ended up laying off 13,000 people in October when the first round of payroll aid ended.<br/>