Skip to main content

EasyJet plans to close bases and cut staff


EasyJet says it has begun consultations on plans to close bases at Stansted, Southend and Newcastle.

It follows an announcement by the airline that it may need to reduce staff numbers by up to a third because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Unite union said nearly 1,300 UK crew members faced losing their jobs.

Pilots' union Balpa said it had been told by EasyJet that 727 of its UK-based pilots were at risk of redundancy.

That is equivalent to one in three of its pilots, Balpa said.

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said: "The lower demand environment means we need fewer aircraft and have less opportunity for work for our people.

"We are committed to working constructively with our employee representatives across the network with the aim of minimising job losses as far as possible."

However, Balpa general secretary Brian Stratton said the job cuts were "an excessive over-reaction".

"EasyJet won't find a supply of pilots waiting to come back when the recovery takes place over the next two years."

Easyjet currently has 11 bases in the UK, with 163 aircraft, serving 546 routes.

An Easyjet "base" means having aircraft and crew based at the airport, while "serving" an airport means aircraft and crew flying in from other bases.

Easyjet has seven aircraft based at Stansted, with 335 crew. At Southend, there are 183 crew and four aircraft. And there are three aircraft based in Newcastle, with 157 crew.

The job cut proposals are not limited to the bases that may close, a Unite spokesman said.

Lower demand

Even though it is looking at closing Stansted, Southend and Newcastle, it said the airports would remain part of its route network.

The airline said in May that it planned up to 4,500 job cuts as it struggled with the collapse in air travel due to the coronavirus crisis.

Even though Easyjet has started to fly passengers again, it does not expect 2019 levels of demand to be reached again until 2023.

Airlines have been hit hard by lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world, with many announcing job cuts.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Air France/KLM would present a plan to unions to cut more than 6,500 jobs over the next two years as the airline deals with the effects of the coronavirus crisis.


Source: BBC

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NESCAFÉ Launches Real Vibes Text & Win Promo to Reward Coffee Consumers Across Ghana

 NESCAFÉ has launched the Real Vibes Text & Win Promo, an exciting consumer promotion designed to reward loyal coffee lovers and bring the brand’s My Coffee, My Vibe experience even closer to consumers across the country. Running from September to December, the promotion gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy their favourite NESCAFÉ coffee while standing a chance to win exciting prizes, including phones, motorcycles, airtime and the ultimate grand prize—an electric SUV. Speaking at the launch, Lily Ntim, Category Development Manager for NESCAFÉ, said the promotion reflects NESCAFÉ’s commitment to creating, rewarding and memorable experiences for consumers. “Today, we are excited to introduce the NESCAFÉ Real Vibes Text & Win Promo, a campaign designed to bring the My Coffee, My Vibe experience even closer to our consumers,” she said. She added that the campaign is not only about prizes, but also about celebrating the everyday moments consumers enjoy with their coffee. “T...
Post a Comment
Read more

UK-Ghana Trade & Investment Summit: Trade Resource Centre to help businesses maximise UK-Ghana trade opportunities

 In a significant boost to UK-Ghana trade and investment relations, the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC), in partnership with the UK-Ghana Jobs and Economic Transformation (JET) Programme, has launched the UK-Ghana Trade Resource Centre, a practical market-access platform designed to help businesses identify opportunities, navigate export requirements and build commercial partnerships between Ghana and the United Kingdom. The UK and Ghana enjoy strong trade relations, with total bilateral trade reaching approximately £1.6 billion in the year to Q1 2026. Yet, despite this progress, significant untapped opportunities remain for businesses in both countries. The Trade Resource Centre has been established to help bridge information gaps, connect businesses with the right partners, and support firms to take greater advantage of opportunities under the UK-Ghana Trade Partnership Agreement. The launch formed one of the major outcomes of the UK-Ghana Trade & Investment Summit 2026,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ghana Home Loans

With interest rates declining, a more liquid environment and a macroeconomic stability, mortgage financing is expected to see an ease of credit. And Ghana Home Loans being a leader in this industry is expected to lead the way. Ghana Home Loans (GHL), a leader in home mortgage, continues to be the frontier in fulfilling dreams of many Ghanaians in homeownership. Since starting business in 2006, it has also provided many existing homeowners with Equity Release mortgages to support their businesses, pay educational fees, improve their properties, or simply pursue other personal hobbies and interests. Ghana Home Loans is a mortgage finance institution which operates under Bank of Ghana’s supervision as a non-bank financial institution. At present, the Company remains the only such institution that focuses exclusively on the provision of mortgage product. Through the Home Completion mortgage and Home Construction mortgage products, Ghana Home Loans has enabled many qualified applican...
16 comments
Read more