British Airways To Cut 12,000 Jobs As Covid-19 Paralyzes Travel Industry

Related stories

French president sues Candace Owens over claims his wife is a man

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, filed...

TotalEnergies Warns of Looming Oil Glut

TotalEnergies (NYSE: TTE) reported on Thursday its weakest adjusted...

French Company Secures Ownership of DStv, GOtv in $3 Billion MultiChoice Deal

By Abiola Olawale  A French media conglomerate, Canal+ has finalized...

Tinubu’s Minister, Nentawe Yilwatda Takes Over as APC National Chairman, Succeeds Ganduje

• Beats Tanko Al-Makura to Clinch Position By Abiola Olawale Professor...

#EndSARS: Court Orders IGP Egbetokun to Pay N10m for Violating Protesters’ Rights

By Abiola Olawale  The Federal High Court in Lagos has...

British Airways is set to cut up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring forced on the carrier by the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.

The airline’s parent company, IAG, said it needed to impose a “restructuring and redundancy programme” until demand for air travel returns to 2019 levels.

“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.

Read BA’s full text below;

British Airways’ letter to employees

British Airways CEO Alex Cruz has written a letter to employees with the subject “Preparing For A Different Future,” and in it he outlines what we should expect at the airline in the future. I think the letter is worth sharing in its entirety:

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.
The global aviation body, IATA, has said that the industry has never seen a downturn this deep before, and that full year industry passenger revenues could plummet 55% compared to 2019, while traffic falls 48%.  Many airlines have grounded all of their planes. Sadly, we will see some airlines go out of business with the resulting job losses.
Our very limited flying schedule means that revenues are not coming into our business. We are taking every possible action to conserve cash, which will help us to weather the storm in the short-term. We are working closely with partners and suppliers to discuss repayment terms; we are re-negotiating contracts where possible; and we are considering all the options for our current and future aircraft fleet. All of these actions alone are not enough.
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.
There is no Government bailout 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.
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. We will begin a period of consultation, during which we will work with the Trade Unions to protect as many jobs as possible. Your views matter and we will listen to all practical proposals.
The scale of this challenge requires substantial change so we are in a competitive and resilient position, not just to address the immediate Covid-19 pandemic, but also to withstand any longer-term reductions in customer demand, economic shocks or other events that could affect us. However challenging this is, the longer we delay difficult decisions, the fewer options will be open to us.
I want to pay tribute to the thousands of British Airways colleagues who are playing a vital role in the global response to the Covid-19 crisis. Whether you are supporting our repatriation flights or the transport of essential cargo; or one of the hundreds of colleagues volunteering with organisations such as the NHS, you have my sincere respect and thanks.
This has been a difficult message to write and one I never thought I would need to send. I know how tight-knit the BA family is, and how concerned you will be, not just for yourself but for your colleagues, too. We must act decisively now to ensure that British Airways has a strong future and continues connecting Britain with the world, and the world with Britain.
Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
French president sues Candace Owens over claims his wife is a manTotalEnergies Warns of Looming Oil GlutFrench Company Secures Ownership of DStv, GOtv in $3 Billion MultiChoice DealTinubu's Minister, Nentawe Yilwatda Takes Over as APC National Chairman, Succeeds Ganduje#EndSARS: Court Orders IGP Egbetokun to Pay N10m for Violating Protesters' RightsFrench Company Secures Ownership of DStv, GOtv in $3 Billion MultiChoice Deal2027: Osun Senators' Defection to APC, a Grave Error, Governor Adeleke’s Aide Blasts Fadahunsi, Fadeyi Mystery Buyer of First Bank Stake Spurs Query From Nigeria’s SECThailand recalls ambassador to Cambodia amid border tensionsFor Aisha Buhari at a time like this By Funke EgbemodeSaraki Blasts Atiku, David Mark, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Other PDP Defectors, Says Mass Exodus Lacks Vision2027: Four Senators Dump PDP as APC Numbers Rise To 70 in Upper Chambers[VIDEO]: Battle Rages As Amaechi Storms Rivers, Pulls Unprecedented Crowd for ADCOil Price Swings Challenge Big Oil Trading ProfitsOba Otudeko: EFCC Drops ₦12.3 Billion Fraud Case After FirstHoldco Shares Sale
X whatsapp