United Airlines to close three of four bases overseas

United Airlines closes three of its four international bases. These are Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The company announced this to its staff in an internal memo. The changes will take effect on 1 October.

The closure has a direct effect on some 840 flight attendants and flight attendants. According to the company, the situation in the aviation sector, which is suffering from the corona crisis, is currently such that there is no point in keeping international bases open. United Airlines will continue to operate in London.

Due to the corona crisis, airlines are forced to keep a large part of the fleet on the ground, partly due to the imposed travel restrictions. The revenues are drying up, but the costs will continue. Affected workers may find themselves in the US.

The society has received approximately $ 5 billion in aid from the United States government. As part of the state-pay scheme, the company is not allowed to fire people until October 1. United Airlines does offer personnel the option of voluntary departure, however. With this, the company wants to reduce costs.