By Tracy Rucinski
CHICAGO (Reuters) – United Airlines Holdings Inc <UAL.O> warned on Tuesday that travel demand will remain suppressed until there is a widely accepted treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, which plunged the carrier to a deep quarterly loss on Tuesday.
U.S. airlines are scrambling to adjust operations to hard-hit demand as COVID-19 infections surge, forcing some U.S. states to scale back reopening plans and reinstate quarantines.
The setback does not bode well for airline jobs in the fall, when a U.S. government stimulus package expires. To avoid furloughs, airlines have rolled out a number of packages to encourage employees to leave voluntarily.
Chicago-based United said more than 6,000 employees had opted for such packages. But after sending 36,000 notices of potential furloughs earlier this month, that relatively low take-up suggests United might have to furlough a significant number of workers.
Airline unions have urged lawmakers to pass another round of aid through March, but airlines say they are not counting on fresh funds.
Delta Air Lines <DAL.N> and Southwest Airlines <LUV.N>, which offered cash buyouts, have reported strong employee response for voluntary departures, meaning they could have a less costly workforce on the other side of the crisis since union contracts force airlines to furlough junior workers first.
Shares of United, which will hold a conference call at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, were flat after the bell.
With the timing of a recovery uncertain, investor focus has turned to airlines’ cash on hand and their ability to pick up demand once it returns.
United had $15.2 billion in liquidity as of July 20 and reiterated its forecast for liquidity to top $18 billion at the end of September.
The airline burned through about $40 million per day in the second quarter but sees that amount slowing to roughly $25 million in the third quarter as it matches its flight schedule to demand, flying about 35% of its 2019 summer schedule.
United, which is not blocking middle seats, is forecasting a load factor of about 45% in July after its planes flew about one-third full in the second quarter.
The airline, which is more exposed than peers to harder-hit international travel, reported an adjusted net loss of $2.6 billion for the June quarter, or a $9.31 per-share loss, versus a $4.21 per-share profit a year ago, as revenue dropped 87% to $1.475 billion.
Analysts on average expected a loss of $9.02 per share and revenue of $1.321 billion, according to data from Refinitiv.
Still, United Chief Executive Scott Kirby said in a statement he believed the quarterly losses and cash burn were lower than large network competitors.
Delta said last week it was burning about $27 million a day in June and July. American Airlines <AAL.O> and Southwest report on Thursday.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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