Much like it did in Newark, United Airlines is dramatically scaling back flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In a note to SFO and LAX employees, United’s Executive Vice President Greg Hart announced the cutbacks, set to begin on April 12, 2020.
“Starting on April 12, we will temporarily — but significantly — reduce our flying schedules to and from SFO and LAX to better match demand. This action also will require fewer employees to be on-site in those locations, making social distancing procedures easier to execute. Importantly, whether you are on duty or not, we will maintain the pay and benefits of all local employees scheduled to work in those locations during this temporary reduction.
The specific reduction plan includes the following changes and will be in effect for at least the next three weeks.”
In San Francisco, United will drop from 65 daily flights serving 40 destinations to just 50 daily flights serving 37 destinations. In Los Angeles, United’s smaller west coast hub, United will drop from 33 daily flights serving 19 destinations to only 13 daily flights serving six destinations.
Schedule changes have not yet been loaded.
In a public statement, United said:
“COVID-19 has obviously had a severe effect on travel demand across our system, especially at SFO and LAX given their large percentage of international connections. Despite this impact, we have a responsibility to get people and goods where they need to be, including health care professionals and much-needed medical supplies.”
CONCLUSION
San Francisco and particularly Los Angeles will be scaled back starting on Sunday. The latest round of schedule reductions (on top of several previous schedule reductions) will hopefully only last three weeks.
You’re welcome for the bailout, airline employees, who still get paid but don’t have to show up for work. I’m not sure why they deserved to be bailed out but the 10M who lost their jobs the last 2 weeks didn’t.