Fiesta Texas, other Six Flags theme parks extend closures due to coronavirus

Pay for execs, salaried employees to be reduced by 25%

SAN ANTONIO – Six Flags Entertainment Corporation will extend the closure of its theme parks, including Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, due to the effects of the novel coronavirus.

The parks will remain closed until at least mid-May, the theme park operator announced Monday.

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Six Flags said it will reduce the salaries for executive and other staff members “in an effort to enhance the company’s financial flexibility while it faces the operating and financial impact of COVID-19.”

Salaries for executive officers and full-time salary workers will be reduced by 25%, effective April 6. Full-time hourly workers will see a 25% reduction in hours.

San Antonio parks could be forced to close after groups are seen congregating

The changes still allow employees to keep their existing health plans, the company said.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is our most important priority,” President and CEO Mike Spanos said in a news release. “While these actions are difficult for all of us, they will help the company weather the current crisis by reducing expenses."

"We decided to decrease salaries rather than implement a workforce reduction to ensure our team members have income and health benefits so that Six Flags has an experienced workforce in place when we are in a position to re-open our parks. Our hope is that these measures are only temporary and will help bridge the financial gap the company is facing, in the fairest manner possible, until we can return to normal operations.”

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Six Flags also operates Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Arlington and Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Houston.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.