Breaunna Ross was on her truly last flight from Jacksonville, Florida to Dallas, Texas on American Airlines when she decided to open her heart up and tell her story. Two years ago she”fell in love” with her job. Now she has to leave.
Breaunna, a 29-year-old American Airlines flight attendant very emotional Facebook post touched the hearts of so many people.
“As all of you know the airline industry has been impacted greatly by this global pandemic. Our routes in flying have been significantly reduced resulting in our company having an overage in staff,” she started her speech over the intercom while the aircraft was taxing.
Holding her tears up and through her mask she said, “[It] was a job that awarded me many opportunities. A job that I fell in love with, I have been to places I never thought I’d have the opportunity to go and places I never knew existed. I’ve met people from all walks of life and I’ve made friendships that will last the rest of my life…”
The situation at American Airlines
The American Airlines CEO Doug Parker told CNBC on October 8 that the airline has to discontinue services to more destinations if the U.S. government doesn’t come up with a new airline stimulus package.
In March $25 billion in U.S. government stimulus funds (The CARES Act.) went to U.S. passenger airlines. The money was to cover payrolls and to secure the jobs of hundred of thousands in the airline industry through the end of September.
However, on October 1 the government stimulus run out and provided no further protections against job cuts. The airlines responded with massive layoffs as they continued to lose money due to the worldwide ongoing coronavirus pandemic. To save even more they had to downsize their operations significantly including laying off staff deemed redundant.
According to American Airlines prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the airline had 140,000 employees and it is seeking to let 40,000 of its staff go which is close to 30 percent.
Retiring employees or those leaving for other reasons – the number came to 12,500 – have already came to an agreement with American to leave. Another 11,000 will leave voluntarily bring the number up to 32,500 employees.
However, with the lack of financial help by the U.S. government another 19,000 have to say, “Goodbye” to their dream job.
Via the CARES Act American Airlines obtained $5.8 billion hoping that the pandemic wouldn’t last as long .
To the contrary the COVID-19 outbreak devastated the travel industry around the worked including the civil aviation in the U.S.. Not only did not go away but continued to spared in many parts of Europe, Asia, and around the world.
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