DUBAI (AFP): Emirates Airlines is ready to cut as many as 9,000 jobs because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is the first time the Middle Eastern airline has disclosed how many jobs will be lost, according to a report.
In an interview with a British news channel, Emirates Airline President Tim Clark said that the airline had already cut a tenth of its staff. “However, we will probably have to let go of a few more, probably up to 15 percent,” he added.
The world’s biggest long-haul carrier halted operations in late March as part of global shutdowns to curb the coronavirus spread. It resumed two weeks later on a limited network and plans to fly to 58 cities by mid-August, down from about 157 before the crisis.
Prior to the crisis, the airline had 60,000 staff. Earlier on May 31, Emirates announced that it had axed roles but did not reveal how many jobs were cut.
The President also pointed out that the Emirates was not as badly off as others and was heading for one of our best years ever. “However, its current situation marks a steep turnaround in the fortunes of the airline,” he added.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that airlines are in line to make a combined net loss of more than $84 billion this year in the wake of the pandemic crisis, the biggest in the industry’s history.
Earlier, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad and Doha-based Qatar Airways axed staff as countries shut down their airspace as the virus spread.
ADVERTISEMENT
