U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke on Friday with the chief executives of the country’s top airlines, who are urging Congress to approve another $25 billion in assistance to keep tens of thousands of U.S. workers on the payroll past Sept. 30, Reuters reported. The call with Pelosi, House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio and the CEOs followed one with labor, where the speaker voiced support for additional aid, according to Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson. Airlines and unions are pleading for an extra six months of aid under a bipartisan proposal for another $1.5 trillion in coronavirus relief. The end of this month marks the expiration of the $25 billion in federal payroll assistance that airlines received when the coronavirus first began spreading around the world. Without an extension, United Airlines and American Airlines alone are set to furlough some 40,000 workers on Oct 1. American has also said that it plans to end service to 15 small communities, a move that could be followed by other airlines. President Donald Trump is also open to a stand-alone measure for airlines, though congressional aides say that is unlikely to win support given aid requests from so many other struggling industries.
