Jet2 pilots in line redundancy

JET2 has told pilots that it plans to make 102 of them redundant after the coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc with the airline industry.

The airline, which operates out of East Midlands Airport, is the latest to start issuing formal notices of redundancy and start a consultation process.

The British Airline Pilots Association has also been informed by the airline of the decision, reports NottinghamshireLive.

A spokesperson for Jet 2 told Nottinghamshire Live :“The implications related to the coronavirus crisis have been complicated, with changes on an almost daily basis.

“Additionally, we are still faced with uncertainty in relation to lockdown and its continued challenges.

As a result, we have had to reassess and reduce our flying programme for the remainder of 2020 and for 2021. Sadly, the overall effect of these reductions has been the need to propose a number of colleague redundancies across our business.

“We cannot say how much we regret these proposed redundancies and we will be consulting with appropriate representatives of the affected colleagues in order to ensure that all options and issues are fully considered.

“Whilst we have every confidence that we will bounce back from the unprecedented demands currently placed on the company, we sadly do have to make difficult decisions in the current climate.

“We very much look forward to growth returning to Jet2.com and Jet2holidays and are confident that there will be sunnier times across the industry in the not too distant future.”

Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said: “This is yet more evidence, if it were needed, of the freefall in aviation, and the knee-jerk way airlines are responding, especially as lockdown is gradually being eased. I hope Jet2 negotiates in good faith and works with us on how we can mitigate these proposed losses and see Jet2 thrive in the future.”