Cristina Hodgson
AIRBUS has announced this Tuesday that it plans to cut 15,000 jobs in the following year.
The impact of COVID-19 on the aviation sector has dramatically affected the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer.
Airbus aims to ‘resize its commercial aircraft activity in response to the COVID crisis’ and will begin negotiations with trade unions this autumn in order to reach an agreement.
The cuts will affect 5,100 jobs in Germany; 5,000 in France; 1,700 in the United Kingdom; 900 in Spain and 1,300 in various places where it is present worldwide.
Airbus aims to soften the impact of the cuts by considering all welfare measures available such as early retirement, voluntary departures and unemployment schemes where appropriate.
In an adjustment plan put forward by the company to the trade unions this Tuesday, Airbus argues that commercial aircraft business activity has declined by nearly 40% in recent months because of the ‘unprecedented crisis’ facing the industry.
Furthermore, air traffic is not expected to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels before 2023, possibly not until 2025.
Thus the need to take additional measures to reflect the post-COVID-19 industry outlook.
“Airbus is facing the most serious crisis this industry has ever experienced,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
“The measures we have taken so far have enabled us to absorb the initial shock of this global pandemic.
“Now, we must ensure that we can sustain our company and emerge from the crisis as a healthy global aerospace leader, adjusting to the overwhelming challenges of our customers,” he said.
The process of consultation with social partners has been launched with a view to reach agreements for implementing work cuts as of this autumn, 2020.
The announcement comes as a trickle of flights resume to Malaga airport, commencing today, July 1.
According to airport body AENA, the Costa del Sol destination will see just over 100 daily flights commencing this month, 94 of which will be international.
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