Lawmakers are moving ahead with more than $30 billion in cash aid for airlines, according to people briefed on the matter and a draft of the bill, clearing a hurdle for a Senate vote on a massive stimulus bill aimed at helping the economy through the coronavirus pandemic.
Airlines have been crippled by a sharp drop in travel demand due to the coronavirus and drastic measures to contain it. Carriers and labor unions pleaded with lawmakers for a mix of both cash grants and loans totaling $58 billion, while Republican senators had originally proposed aid in the form of only loans.
