American Airlines races to get parked planes back into service (includes video story)

American Airlines is preparing for the summer travel rush by making sure planes are ready to get back in the air.

The company’s maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma is working on the planes sidelined because of the pandemic.

Roger Steele is an assistant manager of that maintenance base in Tulsa, which is one of American Airlines’ largest according to our news partner, CNN.The planes that have been in storage need more care than those that are actively flying.

The coming travel surge is not just a concern for airlines. The Transportation Safety Administration is also having to gear up to face the new demand. They are expected to hire as many as 6000 employees and will be holding hiring events nationwide to fill vacancies.

The pilots also need to be tested in classrooms and simulators to make sure they are ready to get the planes flying again.

Ed Sangricco, the managing director of American Airline’s facility in Tulsa, said these planes are 110 percent safe and there is no reason to worry.

Kasey Mintz is a journalism student at Florida International University. He enjoys college football, politics, and the Office.