Strategic Policy

Statement from A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio Regarding Continuing Efforts to Save Airline Industry Jobs

October 02, 2020

WASHINGTON, October 2, 2020 — A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio issued the following statement today:

We are disheartened that Congress and the Administration have been unable to reach an agreement that would save tens of thousands of highly skilled, quality jobs in the U.S. airline industry.

Since March, the effective and successful Payroll Support Program (PSP) kept critical frontline airline employees on the job out of the unemployment lines. Everyone knew that PSP was expiring on Sept. 30 and that without an extension airline employees would be furloughed.

Unfortunately, tens of thousands of airline workers – flight attendants, pilots, mechanics, gate agents and others – lost their jobs yesterday, and more furloughs are expected in the coming weeks because PSP was not extended despite strong bipartisan support from the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Oct. 1, 2020 was a devastating day not only for the U.S. airline industry, but also for our employees, our economy and our country.

We want to thank Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Peter DeFazio (D-OR) for their tireless and continuing efforts to save these jobs.

We understand that negotiations are continuing. We therefore implore members of Congress and the Administration to work swiftly to reach agreement and extend PSP. Time already ran out, but several U.S. airlines have said that they may be able to turn back the clock and reinstate employees IF they receive direct payroll assistance from the federal government within a matter of days.

Congress must ACT NOW!