Due to COVID-19 Impact, United Airlines Proposes Pilot Leave of Absence

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] United Airlines in the United States is reported to have proposed a 'one-month leave of absence' to its pilots.

Earlier, United Airlines announced plans to reduce flights to Asia, including South Korea, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

According to CNBC on the 29th (local time), United Airlines proposed that pilots of wide-body large aircraft take a leave of absence for the entire month of April.

This was revealed through a memo sent by the United Airlines chapter of the International Association of Airline Pilots to its pilots.

United Airlines management confirmed that they proposed compensation equivalent to '50 flight hours,' which is less than the usual '80 flight hours per month' during the leave period. This means wages will be reduced during the leave period.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, United Airlines decided the day before to reduce the number of flights by about two-thirds to South Korea, one-third to Japan, and 40% to Singapore compared to previous schedules.

United Airlines stated that short-term demand for flights to China has almost disappeared, and demand on other Pacific routes has also decreased by about 75%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.