Tupelo native forced to find new career path amid airlines layoffs

The sound of airplanes taking off at the Tupelo airport was the very reason Alloric Riley followed his dream and became a flight attendant.

However, due to the effects of the coronavirus, he was furloughed.

Here at the tupelo airport are the very reason alloric riley followed his dream and became a flight attendant.

But just two years into the job he is now faced with his dream coming to an end.

Is yourself."

I was raised in the north mississippi area and so being raised on a small farm i would always see planes flying overhead and i always wanted to know what was going on."

And soon after graduation alloric riley made that dream come true.

He became an american airlines flight attendant.

But because of the coronavirus that dream of being in the air is not up in the air.

"we were told to have hope, we had hope for so long that a stimulus bill or some kind of relief would happen after october."

However, after the airline's failed attempt for additonal federal funds, riley along with many of his co-workers lost their jobs.

"now they are playing politics with our lives and it's not okay for them to have their six figure salaries, their good healthcare and all of that and now you have people that they have different livelihoods and now it's all at stake now.

Alloric says he now works a part time job and can't find a full time position.

"a day to day would possibly look like doing a few interviews."

He says right now he is learning to find his way out of the air and onto the ground.

"this is going to be a journey and its hard."

Which is why he says now more than every he urges people to vote, not only for presidential elections but also state and local elections.

"right now, the aspects of what's going on with covid or the airline industry we honestly can't control that but one thing we can control is yourself."

In tupelo erin wilson, wtva 9 news voters in