Delta set to furlough over 1,900 pilots

Delta Air Lines is set to furlough 1,941 pilots in October; the carrier said in a memo to employees on Monday that noted the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and plunging air travel demand.

U.S. airlines have warned they will need to furlough tens of thousands of workers once $25 billion in U.S. government stimulus funds run out in September. The aid, which covered employees' pay, was meant to help them weather the pandemic and preserve jobs until a recovery, but travel remains depressed.

"We are six months into this pandemic, and only 25% of our revenues have been recovered. Unfortunately, we see few catalysts over the next six months to meaningful change this trajectory," Delta's head of flight operations John Laughter said in the memo.
He said the airline is "simply overstaffed."

Atlanta-based Delta had initially estimated a surplus of 2,558 pilots but reduced the number of involuntary furloughs following early retirement and voluntary departure programs, a spokeswoman said.