An airline employee passed on May 12, 2020 in front of American Airlines empty check-in terminals at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | Getty Images
Airlines are moving flight crews to hotels outside of downtown Washington, DC, to avoid protests at the U.S. Capitol, the airlines and a major union said.
American Airlines began booking equipment overnight in Washington at airport hotels on Tuesday and plans to do the same Wednesday at least, said Curtis Blessing, a spokesman for American Airlines.
United Airlines flight attendants will also be staying at airport hotels this week, while Alaska Airlines was told to avoid downtown Washington DC, said Taylor Garland, a spokeswoman for the Washington DC Association. Assistants to Vol-CWA, which represents the cabin crew of these airlines and more than a dozen others. Decisions were made before pro-Trump riots stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.
United crew members who spend the night in Atlanta are also staying at airport hotels this week.
Airlines had moved crews from downtown Washington, DC, on election day in November due to concerns about protests and possible logistical problems.