Business

More workers laid off at Charlotte Douglas airport. Here’s what we know.

More than 600 restaurant employees are already out of work at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and now another 112 airport workers have lost their jobs.

Prospect Airport Services began laying off employees at CLT on March 23 after seeing a drop in airport business due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company notified the NC Department of Commerce of the layoffs on April 9.

The layoffs include 72 passenger service assistants and 19 managers. According to the company’s website, Prospect’s passenger service offerings include wheelchair assistance, unaccompanied minor escort service, courtesy bus drivers and more.

In a letter to the commerce department, Prospect said it hopes the layoffs will be temporary, but can’t guarantee the employees will be rehired.

Prospect, an aviation support service company, has over 8,500 employees in 33 airports across the country.

The Charlotte airport has seen several hits from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

More than 600 HMSHost employees have seen their concessions jobs at CLT close after Gov. Roy Cooper’s order to close restaurants and bars. Those employees have been either laid off, furloughed, or put on unpaid leave, according to the workers’ union.

And American Airlines, the dominant carrier at CLT, has announced major cuts to its flight schedule, cutting 60% of international flights for the summer compared to last year.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 3:22 PM.

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Hannah Smoot
The Charlotte Observer
Hannah Smoot covers business in Charlotte, focusing on health care and transportation. She has been covering COVID-19 in North Carolina since March 2020. She previously covered money and power at The Rock Hill Herald in South Carolina and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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