GLOOMY AEROSPACE news about jobs continues as companies across the sector reduce staff numbers in response to the COVID-19 downturn. Airbus cut 15,000 positions worldwide in late June due to a 40% slump in new aircraft sales. The losses include 1,700 jobs at the UK facilities in Broughton and Filton, 5,000 in France, 5,000 in Germany and 900 in Spain. Governments and trade groups urged Airbus to minimise the cuts, but company CEO Guillaume Faury said "far-reaching measures" were required for the manufacturer to meet the "gravest crisis this industry has ever experienced'.' Airbus' cuts follow the job losses announced in the spring by other industry heavyweights Boeing and Rolls-Royce. Turboprop manufacturer ATR announced 204 redundancies in early July. Other less high profile, though still significant, cuts at service providers include 4,500 losses at Swissport in the UK. Hundreds of positions are at risk at airports, SMEs in manufacturing supply chains and sundry other companies associated with the industry, from caterers to hauliers. More carriers have announced job losses. In addition to the cuts announced previously by Emirates and the International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), among others, the Lufthansa Group plans to cut 22,000 positions, Qantas 6,000 posts and Air France 6,500. EasyJet is seeking 5,000 redundancies and consulting on closing its Stansted, Southend and Newcastle bases.
展开▼
