Delta says unpaid leaves not enough

ATLANTA — Nearly 35,000 of Delta Air Line’s employees have volunteered for unpaid leave, yet the company is still seeking aid from the federal government to pay its workers.

The Atlanta-based airline also is applying for unemployment benefits in Georgia for those taking leave.

In the federal stimulus package approved by Congress, $25 billion is earmarked to go to airlines, which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic as travel has slowed significantly. Airlines are supposed to use the money to continue to pay their employees.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees in a memo last week that the company still needs more to volunteer for unpaid leave.