(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Treasury Department disbursed $2.9 billion to passenger airlines in the first round of payroll assistance to an industry suffering financially from a pandemic-induced shutdown.

Six airlines including American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., Southwest Airlines Co. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. have struck agreements with the federal government for aid, the Treasury Department said in a statement late Monday.

The assistance that has been handed out so far went to two “major” airlines and 54 smaller passenger carriers, the department said. More payments will be sent out on a rolling basis, it said.

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