About 400,00 airline employees in line of fire due to Covid-19
That figure is for airlines worldwide and covers pilots and cabin crew
24 July 2020 - 11:52
byAnurag Kotoky, Manish Modi and Matt Turner
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A pilot walks through the terminal at the Ronald Reagan National Airport on July 22, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. Picture: MICHAEL A. MCCOY / AFP
New Delhi/Hong Kong — About 400,000 airline workers have been fired, furloughed or told they may lose their jobs due to the coronavirus, according to Bloomberg calculations.
The aviation industry has suffered more than most as the pandemic destroys ticket sales and strips companies of cash. Airlines the world over have drastically cut back on flights due to border restrictions and a lack of appetite for travel, particularly internationally, because people are worried about contracting the virus and spending lengthy periods in quarantine.
British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa, Emirates Airline and Qantas Airways are among the carriers announcing thousands of dismissals and unpaid leave programs. Many more are expected in the US after a ban on job cuts — a condition of a $50bn government bailout — is lifted at the end of September. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have already warned about 35,000 employees that their jobs are at risk. The trio’s combined personnel losses could top 100,000 by the end of 2020.
Even the pilots and cabin crew who manage to keep their jobs are, in general, facing salary cuts.
The 400,000 job-loss figure is for airlines worldwide and covers pilots and cabin crew, who have found themselves on the front lines of the virus fight when they are at work. It includes planned cuts by US carriers and was compiled from company statements, Bloomberg News stories and other media reports.
Job losses in related industries including aircraft manufacturers, engine makers, airports and travel agencies could reach 25-million, according to the International Air Transport Association. The hotels and lodging sector in the US sees 7.5 jobs lost for every one in aviation. Airbus and Boeing are cutting more than 30,000 positions.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
About 400,00 airline employees in line of fire due to Covid-19
That figure is for airlines worldwide and covers pilots and cabin crew
New Delhi/Hong Kong — About 400,000 airline workers have been fired, furloughed or told they may lose their jobs due to the coronavirus, according to Bloomberg calculations.
The aviation industry has suffered more than most as the pandemic destroys ticket sales and strips companies of cash. Airlines the world over have drastically cut back on flights due to border restrictions and a lack of appetite for travel, particularly internationally, because people are worried about contracting the virus and spending lengthy periods in quarantine.
British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa, Emirates Airline and Qantas Airways are among the carriers announcing thousands of dismissals and unpaid leave programs. Many more are expected in the US after a ban on job cuts — a condition of a $50bn government bailout — is lifted at the end of September. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have already warned about 35,000 employees that their jobs are at risk. The trio’s combined personnel losses could top 100,000 by the end of 2020.
Even the pilots and cabin crew who manage to keep their jobs are, in general, facing salary cuts.
The 400,000 job-loss figure is for airlines worldwide and covers pilots and cabin crew, who have found themselves on the front lines of the virus fight when they are at work. It includes planned cuts by US carriers and was compiled from company statements, Bloomberg News stories and other media reports.
Job losses in related industries including aircraft manufacturers, engine makers, airports and travel agencies could reach 25-million, according to the International Air Transport Association. The hotels and lodging sector in the US sees 7.5 jobs lost for every one in aviation. Airbus and Boeing are cutting more than 30,000 positions.
Bloomberg
United Airlines warns 36,000 workers their jobs are at risk
Airbus to cut 15,000 jobs as airline battles coronavirus fallout
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