Southwest Airlines summons 209 pilots as the travel industry slowly recovers

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.