United Airlines says to close flight attendant base at Japan's Narita

FILE PHOTO: A United Airlines passenger jet taxis at Newark Liberty International Airport

TOKYO (Reuters) - United Airlines <UAL.O> said it would close its flight attendant base at Japan's Narita airport on Oct. 1, a move that will affect 270 flight attendants.

Some of the 270 flight attendants may be eligible for a transfer to the United States, a spokeswoman said on Monday, confirming a plan first reported by Reuters in June that also affects the airline's flight crew bases in Frankfurt and Hong Kong.

Chicago-based United said earlier this month it was preparing to furlough 16,370 U.S. workers when federal aid expires on Oct. 1 as the pandemic continues to devastate the airline industry.

The job cuts include 6,920 flight attendants.

(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Jonathan Oatis)