United asks pilots to take unpaid leave because of slow 737 deliveries
From Aviation HQ@2:292/854 to All on Tue Apr 2 11:05:50 2024
United Airlines has asked pilots to take voluntary unpaid leave next month. United is waiting for new aircraft from aircraft manufacturer Boeing. But due to delivery delays, there are more pilots available than aircraft. The extra leave by pilots should reduce overcrowding, according to a spokeswoman for the airline.
The request for unpaid leave is the latest move in a series of measures that United Airlines has already taken. In January, CEO Scott Kirby announced that he would no longer expect the delivery of a number of 737 MAX 10 aircraft this year. Since then, the company has also started hiring fewer pilots who should have flown this aircraft. This year, United should have received 80 of the total 277 MAX 10s ordered.
Boeing has been in crisis since the beginning of this year due to several problems with the MAX aircraft.
CEO Dave Calhoun announced last week that he will leave Boeing at the end of this year. Several other top executives are also leaving.