Southwest Airlines was said to have called back 209 pilots who have signed a voluntary extended leave program. They were asked to return for the flights scheduled for the summer.
Southwest Airlines said on Monday, April 5, that the decision to recall the pilots is part of the company’s preparations as the demand for travel increases. The airline acknowledges the fact that this is a sign of recovery in the travel business.
Flight demand soars
As per Reuters, the pilots are set to go back to their work on June 1. After reporting to work, they will be asked to complete the necessary requalification training requirements before they can fly again with passengers.
In any case, it was mentioned that the recovery in the travel industry is because more and more Americans are getting vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. This means people now feel at ease and more comfortable when traveling as they have some protection from the virus.
Most airlines have stopped their normal operations since the pandemic hit last year. As a result, employees were asked to take a leave while others were even laid off. And today, with the availability of vaccines, it seems that the travel industry is on its way to recovery, as shown in the increasing demand for travel in recent weeks.
Airlines expecting to bounce back soon
Nasdaq reported that along with the recall of 209 pilots who are on extended vacation programs, Southwest Airlines also placed an order for additional 100 Boeing 737 Max planes. This move is also part of the firm’s post-pandemic recovery efforts.
As more people around the world are vaccinated, the airline industry is expecting a rebound in business in the coming days or weeks. In fact, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have also started to recall pilots to match the flight demands that shot up recently.
Meanwhile, over 1.5 million passengers were recorded to have traveled for the Easter holidays. This was a big jump from last year’s 122,029 passengers in the same period. Delta Airlines even had to cancel 100 flights for the big demand, and yet it only has few pilots available.


Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users
Hims & Hers Halts Compounded Semaglutide Pill After FDA Warning
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports
SpaceX Pushes for Early Stock Index Inclusion Ahead of Potential Record-Breaking IPO
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal
Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Steps Down After Layoffs
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 



