United Airlines will reduce flights, freeze hiring
and ask employees to volunteer for unpaid leave
as the airline struggles with weak demand for
travel because of the new virus outbreak.
United said that starting in April it will
reduce passenger-carrying capacity 20% on
international routes and 10% in the U.S. — the
first airline to cut domestic flying. United officials
said they will temporarily ground an unspecified
number of planes.
The moves by United are the clearest sign yet of
the financial harm to U.S. airlines from the virus,
which has already led them to suspend flights to
China and reduce service to other countries.