Exclusive: Alaska Airlines to cut hundreds of jobs in Bay Area

Alaska Airlines plans to lay off hundreds of employees in the Bay Area as the carrier copes with a plunge in travel demand amid the Covid-19 outbreak, according to California WARN notices obtained by the San Francisco Business Times Monday. 

Alaska joins United Airlines, American Airlines and other carriers in announcing thousands of job cuts expected to take place in early October.

Alaska said it will cut 603 workers on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 at San Francisco International Airport and its offices in Burlingame. The cuts include 465 flight attendants, 90 customer-service agents and 36 aircraft technicians. Alaska has the second-highest market share at SFO, behind only United.

In San Jose, 48 employees will be cut, including 36 customer-service agents.

Alaska has more than 2,000 employees in the greater Bay Area.

The Seattle-based carrier said it will cut about 628 employees in Los Angeles, including 484 flight attendants, 98 customer-service agents and 35 aircraft technicians.

In San Diego, Alaska plans to lay off 171 employees, including 112 flight attendants and 50 customer-service agents.

Alaska Airlines, which employs 23,000 people companywide, told investors July 23 that it cut 300 managers, or 15% of its management team, as it copes with the plunge in travel demand amid Covid-19.

Alaska, led by CEO Brad Tilden, also said that it had initiated “early-out programs” for front-line workers and offered “incentive leaves” to pilots as the airline sought to reduce the number of employees that will have to be furloughed.

Alaska recently saw two key departures from its leadership ranks in the Bay Area. Annabel Chang, who was vice president of the Bay Area for Alaska, told me last month that she stepped down as the carrier's highest-ranking executive in California to join Alphabet's Waymo to head state policy and government affairs.

Oriana Branon, who was director of community and public relations for the Bay Area, recently left the airline to join San Jose-based Bill.com as director of corporate communications.

Alaska became a much larger player in Bay Area air travel when it bought Virgin America for $4 billion, including debt, in 2016.