WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate will vote on Wednesday to provide the U.S. aviation industry $58 billion in aid, half in the type of grants to cover some 750,000 workers’ paychecks, in a terribly required lifeline for an industry facing the worst travel decline in history.
American Airlines guest aircrafts crowd a runway where they are parked due to flight decreases to slow the spread of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. March 23,2020 REUTERS/Nick Oxford
A draft text for a $2 trillion economic rescue deal seen by Reuters would use traveler airlines $25 billion in grants and $25 billion in loans, freight carriers another $8 billion in loans and grants, and professionals like catering services up to $3 billion in grants.
Republicans had actually battled what they called a hand out to airlines, while unions said the money was essential to keep employees on the job.
” This is not a business bailout; it’s a rescue package for employees,” stated Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson, who spearheaded the concept of direct payroll grants for workers ranging from janitorial staff and gate agents to mechanics and pilots.
Reuters reported Chao worked the phones late into the night talking to air carriers about what they needed to ensure they could maintain payrolls, an individual briefed on call on Tuesday that legislators w