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Virgin Atlantic announces job cuts and fleet reduction

Virgin Atlantic has released a statement in regard to plans to restructure its business in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline plans to cut 3,150 jobs across all business functions and will be working with relevant trade unions and undertake a 45-day company-wide consultation.

As well as job losses, the airline will only fly wide-body, twin-engine planes from Heathrow and Manchester, its two busiest airports. All Gatwick flights will move to Heathrow, with the airline planning to retain its slot portfolio at Gatwick so it can return at a later date. Four A330-200 aircraft will be retiring in early 2022, as planned, and from this week, Virgin Atlantic will no longer fly all of its 747-400s. By 2022, the airline is expected to have a fleet comprised of 36 planes.

Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic commented:  ?I wish it was not the case, but we will have to reduce the number of people we employ ... After 9/11 and the global financial crisis, we took similar painful measures but fortunately many members of our team were back flying with us within a couple of years. Depending on how long the pandemic lasts and the period of time our planes are grounded for, hopefully the same will happen this time."

The news from Virgin Atlantic follows speculation in regard to British Airways cutting jobs and pulling out of Gatwick Airport. At the time of writing, nothing had been confirmed by BA. 

Image credit: Kwok Ho Eddie Wong/Flickr



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