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Virgin Atlantic has seen passenger numbers slump as countries close borders and enact travel bans
Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to cut more than 3,000 jobs in the UK and end its operation at Gatwick airport.
The shock announcement comes after rival British Airways said it could not rule out closing its Gatwick operation. Pilots’ union Balpa described it as “devastating”.
Many airlines have been struggling as the coronavirus pandemic has brought global travel to a virtual standstill.
The airline currently employs a total of about 10,000 people.
Virgin Atlantic, which is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the government, says that the jobs will be lost across the board.
“This is another terrible blow for the industry and is evidence of the dire situation facing UK aviation,” said Balpa.
The union’s general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “Our members and all staff in Virgin Atlantic will be shocked by the scale of this bombshell. We will be challenging Virgin very hard to justify this.”
Virgin Atlantic also plans to reduce the size of its fleet of aircraft from 45 to 35 by the summer of 2022.
It hopes to restore about 60% of its pre-pandemic flying capacity by the end of 2020.
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