A Boeing 777-222(ER) passenger aircraft belonging to the United Airways taking off at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport on August 08 2018 in Hong Kong, H
A Boeing 777-222(ER) passenger aircraft belonging to the United Airways taking off at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport on August 08 2018 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Marcio Rodrigo | Getty Photographs
United Airways plans to shut three of its 4 international flight attendant bases in October as worldwide air journey continues to battle due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chicago-based airline will shut bases in Hong Kong, Tokyo’s Narita airport and Frankfurt, in accordance with an organization memo seen by CNBC. United mentioned about 840 flight attendants work within the three bases which can be closing.
“This was actually a really troublesome resolution to make, and we acknowledge that closing any base locations a hardship on those that dwell close to these places,” John Slater, United’s senior vp of inflight providers, mentioned within the memo. “Within the present and future setting, we merely aren’t capable of maintain an Inflight Base at these places.”
Flight attendants at these places will likely be given the prospect to switch to U.S. bases, relying on work eligibility, the memo mentioned.
United additionally has a flight attendant base for London’s Heathrow Airport and a base for U.S. territory Guam.
“Whereas no different base adjustments are anticipated [at] this time, we’ll proceed to guage the viability of all places primarily based on the community schedule, authorities journey restrictions and restoration of demand,” mentioned Slater.
The United chapter of the Affiliation of Flight Attendants, which represents the airline’s roughly 24,000 cabin crew members known as the announcement “a shock for all of us” and mentioned “it can create great uncertainty.”