UPS Reduces Pilot Furloughs

Seventy UPS pilots that were to be furloughed in the coming year will continue flying.Due to financial difficulties, the shipping giant had planned to furlough 300 pilots by the end of next year. Spokesperson Mike Mangeot says business has improved, and now 230 pilots will be furloughed."As we reported in our recent second quarter earnings, our export volume is up 40% out of Asia and up 10% in both the United States and Europe," he says. "So it's a global thing."Independent Pilots Association spokesperson Brian Gaudet says business was never so bad that pilots had to be furloughed."We're still really concerned pilots are being furloughed," he says. "We really don’t see a need for this. If you look at UPS's last quarterly statement, they're showing nothing but growth, growth and growth."About 30 of the 300 pilots slated for furloughs worked out of Louisville, where UPS has its World Port air hub. The furlough program began in May, when 54 pilots were required to take unpaid time off. 23 of those pilots were based in Louisville.