A group of United States Republican senators have backed the extension of payroll assistance program that would see airlines receive $25 billion, as the US president Donald Trump expressed his support for the decision.
If approved, the program would extend previous payroll assistance of $25 billion for airlines, $4 billion for cargo firms, and $3 billion for airports, which is due to expire on October 1, 2020. Meanwhile, numerous airlines and unions stated that massive layoffs will take place if the program ends.
In a White House briefing on August 6, 2020, the US president Donald Trump was asked about the extension and said he would be in favor of it, stating that “We don’t want to lose our airlines.”
US House, which is controlled by the Democratic Party, has already expressed its support for the program.
