United Airlines Warns of Layoffs If It Doesn’t Get a Government Bailout

United Airlines told employees late Friday it could be forced to lay off or furlough workers in the coming weeks if the federal government doesn’t provide the airline industry with a bailout plan, and it asked its employees to contact their congressmen and ask them to support a bailout.

The Chicago-based airline previously announced it would slash flights by 60% in April.  It is also offering employees voluntary unpaid leaves.

Without government assistance, the airline would be forced to “reduce our payroll in line with the 60% schedule reduction,” the airline said in a letter to employees signed by the airline’s CEO, Oscar Munoz, and its president, Scott Kirby.

The airline did not believe that the schedule reductions in April would be the last cutbacks.

“May’s schedule is likely to be cut even further,” the letter said.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)