600 more UAL cabin crew members take voluntary furloughs

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines said about 600 more flight attendants have agreed to voluntary furloughs, bringing the total amount to about 2,100 and eliminating the need for layoffs.

Those who participated in the voluntary program kept such benefits as medical insurance and travel benefits during their furloughs.

Last year, the company had trimmed its flight-attendant work force by 1,550, entirely through voluntary furloughs. Last month, it said it needed to trim 600 additional flight attendants from its 13,500 active cabin crew members.

The Chicago-based airline, the No. 3 U.S. airline by traffic, is in the midst of removing aircraft from its fleet and reducing its capacity.

UAL’s shares fell 2.1% to $3.71 in after-hours trading. The stock is down 78% in the past eight months.