North Air to slash jobs at Glasgow Airport by a quarter

More jobs are to be slashed at Glasgow Airport as the fuel supplier North Air cuts its operations by a quarter.

The company, which supplies fuel to aircraft at both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, has warned staff that plans to reduce operations by 25 per cent at the Paisley site will result in job losses.

It is the latest blow for the civil aviation industry in Renfrewshire, with Menzies, Swissport and NCT already confirming mass redundancies at Glasgow Airport.

Pat McIlvogue, Unite regional industrial officer, said:“North Air has worked constructively with Unite up until this point by using the UK Government’s Job

Retention Scheme.

“However, the company has unilaterally decided to break from this approach and it has issued redundancy notices affecting up to 30 per cent of their workforce at Edinburgh Airport and more than 25 per cent at Glasgow Airport.

“It’s the latest domino to fall in the industry and thousands of jobs are hanging by a thread.

“Unite fully understands the situation facing civil aviation and that’s why we have written to the First Minister last week for the second time demanding a coordinated national response so that we can safeguard thousands of Scottish jobs.”

At Glasgow Airport, Unite is involved in redundancy consultations affecting more than 500 workers at companies including Menzies Aviation, ICTS, and Swissport.

The union has formally asked the Scottish Government to create a civil aviation task force to deal with the unfolding jobs crisis at Glasgow and Scotland’s two other major airports in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The call was also made in parliament by Paisley-based MSP Neil Bibby who this week warned of an“unfolding Renfrewshire jobs crisis”.

He called on both the UK and Scottish Governments not to abandon

Renfrewshire workers, arguing“concerted action”was needed to support staff and major employers in the local economy like the airport.

Mr Bibby demanded aviation specific support after Swissport revealed last week it was looking to axe 321 of baggage handling and ticketing jobs at Glasgow Airport.

Menzies Aviation also announced plans to make 160 staff redundant and 20 jobs are to go at the airport’s NCP car park.

Manufacturer of aircraft parts RollsRoyce has meanwhile also confirmed plans to axe 700 jobs, more than half of its workforce at its Inchinnan plant.