Jul. 10--CLEVELAND, Ohio -- United Airlines is planning to lay off as many as 450 employees at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport this fall, a result of the dramatic drop in air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline currently employs about 1,200 workers at Hopkins, a one-time hub for United. Local employees include flight attendants, pilots, ground crew, catering staff, aircraft mechanics and others.
United revealed this week that it could lay off as many as 36,000 employees nationwide -- nearly 40% of its workforce -- due to the pandemic, which has crippled air travel worldwide.
Those layoffs would occur no earlier than October 1, when job protection requirements included in the federal CARES Act expire. To receive government bailout money included in the law, passed in late March, airlines had to agree not to lay off staff through September.
Numerous U.S. airlines are expected to lay off tens of thousands of employees starting in October.
U.S. air carriers were anticipating a modest rebound in traffic this summer, although recent spikes in coronavirus cases in popular U.S. travel destinations, including Florida and California, are depressing future bookings, according to airport sources.
In May, just 88,559 travelers flew in and out of Cleveland Hopkins -- a dramatic drop from the 906,984 travelers who traveled through the airport in May 2019. Year-to-date traffic at Hopkins is down 50%.
As required by law, United sent a letter to the state of Ohio late Wednesday, notifying the state Department of Job and Family Services of the layoffs.
"While demand has moved slightly upward from its April low, we have lost billions of dollars over this three-month period and are still spending far more than we are taking in," it reads. "Additionally, we expect that travel demand will not go back to 'normal' until there is a vaccine for COVID-19."
The letter also expressed hope that the layoffs would be temporary. Voluntary buyouts and employee concessions are being discussed, as well, and may affect layoff numbers.
One Cleveland-area United flight attendant said the layoff notice was not a surprise.
"They have said all along that if things don't improve by October, there would be significant furloughs," said the employee, who requested that her name not be used because she is not authorized to speak to the media. "So this news isn't a shock."
She believes that with her seniority, she will likely not lose her job. But she added: "Who knows what will happen as time goes on? It is going to get worse before it gets better. Hoping and praying we keep our base."
United has maintained a sizable staff in Cleveland in the years since it closed its hub at Hopkins in 2014.
It remains the largest carrier at the airport -- or, at least it did, until the pandemic hit. Currently, United is flying nonstop to just a handful of destinations from Cleveland, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Newark, Denver and Houston.
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