After cutting 30% of their support staff, American Airlines is now asking corporate staff to volunteer to help in DFW airport this summer, amid a surge in travel

Sarah Al-Arshani

Tue, June 8, 2021, 3:08 AM·2 min read

• American Airlines asked corporate employees to volunteer at DFW, the Dallas Morning Newsreported.

• Non-union employees can volunteer to help customers get around the airport or help with ticketing.

• Employees will not be paid extra but are also not required to volunteer.

• See more stories on Insider's business page.

American Airlines asked nonunion workers employees at its headquarters to volunteer at nearby Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport as it expects a surge of travel during the summer, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Workers who volunteer would have to do so outside of their normal work responsibilities and will not be paid but are also not required to volunteer, the outlet reported.

American did not respond to an email request for comment at the time of publication but spokesperson Sarah Jantz told the Dallas Morning News: "As we look forward to welcoming back more of our customers this summer, we know they're counting on us to deliver a reliable operation and help them feel comfortable as they return after many months away from traveling. That's something our front-line teams are experts on as they regularly go above and beyond to take care of our customers. To ensure they have the support they need this summer and beyond, our corporate support teams will provide additional support at DFW."

Jantz told the outlet employees have been asked to help with airport operations in the past, but it's not common to ask the entire support staff for help.

The request comes amid a surge in travel and after the airline cut 30% of its support staff, which included the layoffs of about 1,500 staff members.

Volunteers would work six-hour shifts from June to August helping customers find their way around the airport, as well as assisting at gates and ticketing stations.

On June 6, the Transportation Security Administration recorded close to 2 million people going through airport security. This was the largest number of screenings since the pandemic started. The number of passengers going through security across the US has been increasing in recent weeks, as more and more Americans get vaccinated.

So far 42.1% of all Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The airline has previously said that it planned to operate a close to normal flight schedule this summer and has introduced new routes and added more flights over the past few months