Six hundred redundancies possible at Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic has announced that due to a drop in customer demand it is considering a reduction in its workforce by up to 600 jobs.

The carrier noted that it continues to reshape it business in order to maintain its strong position during the current recession.

Virgin is consulting with staff at this time regarding the possibility of as many as 600 redundancies business-wide.

“We are keeping our staff fully informed and will be working closely with staff and union representatives in order to find ways to protect as many jobs as possible and avoid compulsory redundancies,” the carrier stated.

Steve Ridgway, the airline’s chief executive, said: “No airline is immune from the recession and we continue to reshape our business to ensure we’re in the best position for the longer term.

He went on to say: “With falling demand for travel, airlines have to reduce their costs through a variety of measures including cutting capacity, freezing pay, unpaid leave and, regrettably, adjusting staff numbers. We need to stay healthy so we’re ready to grow again when economic conditions allow.”

Virgin’s potential job cuts were announced as Ryanair said it would be eliminating 200 jobs at Dublin as it reduces capacity at its hub there.

Hundreds of management jobs have already been culled at British Airways, which has forecast an operating loss of £150 million for the current financial year.

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.virgin-atlantic.com