FILE PHOTO. A view of a United Airlines aircraft taxiing. (Photo by John Nacion/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)United Airlines said Wednesday it plans to furlough 16,370 employees in October, down from an earlier target of 36,000 after thousands of workers took early retirement, buyouts, or long-term leaves of absence with the industry facing a slow recovery from the pandemic.Airline officials said the final number could come down further before Oct.
1, when a prohibition on furloughs ends. They said the furloughs would be postponed if Washington approves another $25 billion to help passenger airlines cover payroll costs.Flight attendants will bear the brunt of the cuts, with 6,920 getting furlough notices.