Coronavirus: PSA Airlines cutting 30 more jobs at Dayton airport

VANDALIA — PSA Airlines, in an updated filing with the state this week, will lay off an additional 30 people from its Dayton International Airport facility in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

The new number includes pilots, flight attendants and dispatchers and follows the company’s announcement in late July that the airport workforce was being cut by 229.

The update was filed as part of the Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification Act through the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

All of the layoffs are to begin Oct.1 or within 14 days of that date.

“It is our sincere hope that the furloughs and layoffs experienced by the employees covered by this Notice will only be temporary,” Margaret Soda, VP human resources and labor relations, said in the filing.

“The COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) has resulted in the World Health Organization issuing a pandemic declaration, the president declaring a national emergency, numerous states and localities issuing shelter-in-place orders, and other related governmental announcements and actions that have impacted travel in general, and has had an unprecedented and enduring catastrophic impact on the airline industry.

“In light of this sudden, severe and worsening downturn in air travel, PSA is implementing measures to ensure the financial stability of the company, including some very difficult personnel decisions,” Soda wrote.

The Ohio-based airline, which operates US Airways Express service in several cities, including Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., has 1,200 workers in Dayton, the airline’s second largest operation behind Charlotte (1,600 workers).

Cox Media Group