COVID-19: Flydubai to slash employee salaries for three months

DUBAI: Budget carrier flydubai said on Monday it will be reducing its employees' salaries for three months starting April 2020 as passenger flights in the UAE remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson said that the decision is meant to avoid any job cuts and ensure the carrier is in "the best possible place" with regular operations resume. "The impact of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the airline and tourism sectors, including flydubai. The airline has had to adapt to this fastevolving situation, and to protect employment has taken the decision to reduce the salaries of employees for a three-month period from April 2020," a spokesperson said.

Flydubai said the decision "has not been taken lightly" and was made "with a heavy heart." "It has been made to offer some stability at a time of uncertainty and to minimize the impact on all its employees when the normal pattern of life has been disrupted." The carrier did not elaborate on just how much salaries will be cut. The announcement comes just days after Emirates Airline said it will reduce the basic salary of most employees for three months. Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, will even take a 100 per cent cut in his basic salary during that time. Flydubai said last week it did not see a requirement to reduce salaries, but that it will review that as the flight suspension continues.

Carriers across the UAE suspended passenger operations last week for a duration of two weeks, upon directions from aviation authorities. The two-week period may be extended.