British Airways is to make up to 12,000 staff redundant in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The airline has cut 94 per cent of its flights and its parent company, IAG, lost almost half a billion pounds in the first three months of 2019, with much heavier losses expected.

As a result, British Airways has begun consulting with unions representing pilots, cabin crew and ground-based staff over redundancies for almost 30 per cent of employees in future.

The scale of the proposed redundancies indicate that British Airways intends to trim its flying schedule by one-quarter.

Cuts are likely to be more substantial at Gatwick than at BA’s main base, Heathrow.

Alex Cruz, BA’s chief executive and chairman, said: “Yesterday, British Airways flew just a handful of aircraft out of Heathrow. On a normal day we would fly more than 300. What we are facing as an airline, like so many other businesses up and down the country, is that there is no ‘normal’ any longer.

“Our very limited flying schedule means that revenues are not coming into our business.

“In the last few weeks, the outlook for the aviation industry has worsened further and we must take action now. We are a strong, well-managed business that has faced into, and overcome, many crises in our hundred-year history. We must overcome this crisis ourselves, too.

“We do not know when countries will reopen their borders or when the lockdowns will lift, and so we have to reimagine and reshape our airline and create a new future for our people, our customers and the destinations we serve.

“We have informed the government and the trade unions of our proposals to consult over a number of changes, including possible reductions in headcount.”

British Airways has furloughed nearly 23,000 staff under the government's Job Retention Scheme.

IAG, which includes Aer Lingus, Iberia of Spain and the low-cost carrier, Vueling, said: “Recovery to the level of passenger demand in 2019 is expected to take several years, necessitating group-wide restructuring measures.”

Mr Cruz said: “There is no government bail-out standing by for BA and we cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely.

“Any money we borrow now will only be short-term and will not address the longer-term challenges we will face.”

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-airways-jobs-redundancies-iag-coronavirus-workers-a9488771.html

2020 turned out to be many people’s worst year and nightmare. 12k workers gone from one company. Let’s see how motherland will pan out.

Lots of jobs to be lost post-Covid19 era, coz some jobs can be done with lesser number of people and can be done online.GOD,be with us!
I pray my family n yours won't be among those to lose their jobs

Not so palatable ... but inevitable.

Still yet, some people want to become a pilot

It's well!

When will Nigerian airway recruit people?

Too bad

P

Hmm... What's the fate of Nigerian workers if a British airline can do this??

Na wa oooo...i fear for suicide especially this oyinbo people that take things to heart, very emotional people. In Naija, how many of us get job before....i no even fear the recession forthcoming. Job-zero, light-never, road-bad,

Lots of people in Nigeria will also loose their jobs

P

Ok no p

This is bad, 12000 breadwinners just like that.... God help us oooh

Buhari, why?

God Bless Nigeria!

wahala dey o

why na na dem cause the virus?

Blood of USA

E don happen...
I hate that Buhari opened the economy.
But the truth is we can't actually afford the Economic cost of sitting at home.
While recession is unavoidable, I beg FG not to embark on their white Elephant project now.
1.We should just get serious now instead of playing politics up and down and keep siphoning funds..
2. Govermment at all level should basically focus on wealth creation.
3. Railway, Airport and Roads can wait.
4. Plant oil palm in Ondo Estate,Oyo Cocoa ,Enugun oil palm and whatever agricultural produces we can invest on in 36 state of the Federation.
5. Invest in Science and technology.
6. Give loans to smes ( not that yeye Trader money that can only accessible by APC member).
7. Cut legislative and Executive waste.
8.Nigerians should be ready for hard time and Thiefs every where.


IT WILL TAKE 2 YEARS B4 CRUDE OIL CAN RISE UP TO $30 PER BARREL....

E don happen.

This is tough time for all of us. This is the time we need to stick together. God help us all cos we can't help ourselves.

May the Lord have mercy.

To the youths out there go learn a skill or trade in order to support yourself and family in this trying times coz I see so many people dropping out of the higher institutions when school finally resumes.

These are indeed hard times.

hmm

Z cannot be the end of alphabet

Like seriously dis coronavirus is making people to loose job God will help us

Wickedness..... Even soccer teams not as wealthy as them still pay salaries till now...