Up to 600 jobs going at Virgin Atlantic
Friday, 13 Feb, 2009
0
Virgin Atlantic is responding to a drop in demand for air travel by cutting 600 jobs.
The airline said it was continuing to reshape its business to ensure it remains strong during the downturn.
Virgin is currently consulting with staff about the possibility of up to 600 redundancies across the business.
“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 confirmed.
Chief executive Steve Ridgway 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.
“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."
The job losses came as Ryanair announced that 200 jobs would go as it reduces capacity from Dublin (see separate TravelMole story).
British Airways has already culled hundreds of managers and has forecast a £150 million operating loss for this financial year.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists