Flybe to cut 500 more jobs despite reporting profit
Flybe is cutting 500 jobs despite reporting a profit.
The Exeter-based airline, which employs 2,700 staff, could not yet say where the cuts will be.
It said its turnaround plan was on track to make £40m savings this year and £45 million in 2014-15.
Pre-tax profits were £13.8m for the six months to 30 September, compared with a loss of £1.6m a year earlier, reports the BBC.
But the pilot’s union, BALPA, said it was "shocked" by the decision to cut jobs.
It warned of the threat APD is posing to the national transport infrastructure provided by the airline and urged the Government to play its part.
General Secretary of BALPA, Jim McAuslan, said: "This is a distressing day for the dedicated pilots who loyally serve Flybe and its passengers day-in day-out and we will be supporting them throughout this difficult redundancy process.
"Pilots are working with Flybe to secure the future of the airline, which is vital to connecting the country and driving growth and prosperity outside of London. The Government should play its part by reducing the damaging impact of Air Passenger Duty on this essential piece of transport infrastructure."
The regional airline announced 300 job cuts in January this year saying that ‘double’ APD charges left it ‘no choice’, see previous story.
Meetings with the company are planned this week at which the details of the 500 redundancies will be announced.
Flybe chief executive Saad Hammad, who joined the company in August, said he could not say where the job losses would fall at this stage.
"We’re consulting with unions and our staff," he said.
Hammad also said some routes could ‘possibly’ go.
The carrier now has 96 aircraft in its fleet, with 28 belonging to Flybe Finland, its joint venture with Finnish Air.
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