Gatwick Airport is planning to axe up to 600 jobs in ‘significant restructure’ after impact of Covid-19 pandemic on passenger and air traffic numbers
- Gatwick Airport has announced a ‘significant restructure across its business’
- Up to 600 jobs could be cut, which amounts to around a quarter of workforce
- Passenger numbers fell by 80 per cent in the normally busy month of August
Gatwick Airport is planning to axe up to 600 jobs in a ‘signifcant restructure’ after feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on passenger and air traffic numbers.
The airport is operating at around 20 per cent of its capacity and has around 75 per cent of its staff on furlough.
Consultations have begun with staff over redundancies, as it prepares to cut up to 24 per cent of its workforce.
In March the airport, which is only operating its North Terminal, secured a £300million loan to secure it after flights were grounded by Covid-19.
Quarantine measures from tourist hotspots have damaged hopes of a summer of recovery for the airline industry, with redundancies reported at airlines including Ryanair, BA, Virgin and Jet2.
Gatwick Airport is set to make up to 600 people redundancy after struggling to cope financially during the Covid-19 pandemic
In a statement the airport said it was restructuring to ‘further reduce operating and staff costs in light of the dramatic impact COVID-19 has had on its passenger and air traffic numbers’.
Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said: ‘If anyone is in any doubt about the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the aviation and travel industry then today’s news we have shared with our staff, regarding the proposed job losses, is a stark reminder.
‘We are in ongoing talks with Government to see what sector specific support can be put in place for the industry at this time, alongside mechanisms which will give our passengers greater certainty on where and when they can safely travel abroad.
‘This support will not only help Gatwick but the wider regional economy which relies on the airport.
‘I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff, those who have worked tirelessly to keep Gatwick open throughout the pandemic and those who have had to remain on furlough, for their dedicated tenacity, professionalism and team spirit. We will continue to do all we can to preserve as many jobs as possible.
‘Gatwick will recover from this pandemic and we will emerge from the restructuring we are proposing a fitter and stronger organisation which is best placed to offer our passengers and our airlines a modern and innovative airport, ready for growth.’