United Airlines, which reported a $7.1 billion net loss for 2020 in an earnings call Thursday, said it expected to have voluntary COVID-19 testing available at all of its hubs by February.

The American airline said it is also working with local governments to classify its employees as essential workers for vaccinations, "both for their safety and the safety of [its] customers."

The carrier said it expects 2021 capacity to be down at least 51% versus the first quarter of 2019.

Executives said they expect the "inflection point" in travel recovery to occur in the second half of 2021, but it could happen sooner depending on the pace of vaccine distribution. 

(With input from agencies)