XTRA Airways (Fort Lauderdale International) has announced it is planning to lay off 164 staff members effective May 19 as its owner AerLine Holdings seeks to sell the airline to a new owner, South Florida Business Journal has reported.
The layoffs will cover pilots, cabin crew, maintenance workers, flight dispatchers, and coordinators.
"We will retain a yet-to-be-determined number of people including pilots, flight attendants, and essential personnel to operate one aircraft to transition Xtra Airways to a new buyer," marketing director Lyndelle Nieukerk has said.
AerLine Holdings has already sold seven of the carrier's aircraft, trying to lure more investors to an asset-light company. The current owner hopes to seal the XTRA Airways' sale by the end of April.
"We have put the company in the best position to permit a new owner to add whatever aircraft fleet type that best suits its operational needs, without the burden of expensive leases or old technology equipment," CEO Frank Visconti has said.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the American passenger charter specialist continues to operate five B737-400s. One of the aircraft, N149XA (msn 27149) is operated on behalf of the United States Department of Homeland Security, while the remaining four operate mostly charter flights out of Florida and New York Newark to the Carribean, as well as individual flights on behalf of Swift Air (United States of America), Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
