United Airlines warns 36 000 workers of possible furloughs

United Airlines is warning 36,000 employees — nearly half its US staff — they could be furloughed in October, the clearest signal of how deeply the virus pandemic is hurting the airline industry., Report says, citing foreign press.
Airlines say they must shrink to match falling travel demand. Executives said the notices covered 45% of the airline's US staff, most of whom are represented by unions. 
The notices that United sent out are meant to comply with a law requiring employers to warn workers at least 60 days before mass job cuts.
The furloughs could include up to 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 customer service and gate agents, 5,500 maintenance workers, and 2,250 pilots.
In recent weeks, new COVID-19 cases have roughly doubled to about 50,000 a day, with cases rising in Texas, Florida, and California. Last month, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Chicago announced requirements that people arriving from states with high infection rates go into quarantine for 14 days, throwing up a new roadblock to travel.
United's bookings for flights at its hub in Newark, New Jersey, have poorly slumped since the region's governors announced the quarantine requirements, falling 84% from a year earlier. That compares with a 73% decline in bookings for United's other destinations.