EasyJet set to axe 4,500 jobs

UP TO 4,500 easyJet staff face the sack as the airline deals with the effect of Covid-19.

The Luton-based carrier said it intends to cut its workforce by up to 30per cent.

This follows similar moves by other airlines such as British Airways and Ryanair.

EasyJet has around 15,000 full-time employees – including 8,000 based in the UK.

The low-cost airline’s chief executive, Johan Lundgren said: “It’s a horrible thing. EasyJet is built on absolutely fantastic people, and clearly this is going to have an impact on some of those.

Shocked

“But we do it to make sure that easyJet not only survives through this period, but also comes out of this as a strong and competitive company.”

He added: “This is still the worst crisis that this industry has ever been faced with.”

Pilots’ union Balpa chief Brian Strutton said easyJet staff will be “shocked”.

He added: “EasyJet is a British company, the UK is its strongest market and it has had hundreds of millions in support from the UK taxpayer.”