All 3,300 American Airlines flight attendants out on voluntary leaves of absence will return to work for the holiday travel season in November and December, the company said Thursday.
About two-thirds will require training before returning to flights, according to the Fort Worth-based carrier. Training requirements will vary based on when flight attendants last completed their annual training.
In addition to canceling the remaining leaves, American will also resume hiring and training new flight attendants after pausing recruitment during the pandemic. The company plans to hire 800 new attendants by March 2022.
Earlier this week, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants sent a letter to its 28,000 members informing them of the impending recall. The flight attendants on leave weren’t scheduled to return until next year.
Voluntary leaves were one of the steps American Airlines took last year to slow its losses as the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the air travel industry. The airline offered pilots voluntary leaves ranging from a month to six months and up to a year for flight attendants. Both groups were also offered early retirement packages.
American filed an optimistic update for investors Tuesday, reporting profits for the first time in 15 months and anticipating further growth in the near future. The company “generated cash” in June, mainly resulting from increased vacation travel. Business travel is recovering more slowly.
Brady Byrnes, vice president of flight service for American, said in a letter that he’s excited to see employees returning, and remains optimistic about the future of the airline.
“We’ve had quite the journey over the past 18 months, but I can’t think of a better team of professionals equipped to welcome back our customers,” Byrnes said. “Thanks for everything you’re doing to care for our customers and your colleagues during this very busy summer.”
