United Kingdom’s flag carrier British Airways, which earlier said that it needs to cut 12,000 jobs and handover pay cuts to cabin crew, has now reportedly laid off 350 pilots.
According to a report by The Sun, the airline has reached a deal with its pilots that will see 350 laid off and another 300 put in a ‘pool’ for rehiring when needed.
According to the report, captains and first officers placed in the pool do not currently have an aircraft to operate and will remain on half-pay, the report said, while all other operating flight crew will take a 15% pay cut.
Once ‘pooled’ pilots return, operating flight crew members will get 7.5% of their deducted pay back, while the rest of the pay cut will be lost, the report added.
The majority of pilots being ‘pooled’ will be Boeing 747 jumbo jet first officers.
British Airways, owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said in an emailed statement that “constructive talks are ongoing with (UK pilots union) BALPA to save as many jobs as possible.”
BALPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier in April, British Airways had announced that it was planning to cut as many as 12,000 jobs in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The airline industry has been on its knees since the outbreak of coronavirus with many even looking at bankruptcy as unavoidable. Most of the airlines have been forced to cut jobs, including more than 15,000 in Britain, as they prepare for a market that is not forecast to return to 2019 levels until 2023.
As of April 2020, BA has 45,000 employees, including 16,500 cabin crew and 3,900 pilots, according to its website
