Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways Co. laid off one other 200 staff in September because the coronavirus pandemic continued to hammer demand for air journey.
The airline instituted price reductions at each degree of enterprise, Chief Govt Officer Rohit Ramachandran mentioned. The layoffs, throughout all enterprise strains however predominantly pilots and cabin crew, adopted the termination of about 300 staff — a 3rd of the airline’s workforce — in March.
“We might like to have them again as quickly as potential, as soon as the scenario improves,” Ramachandran mentioned by telephone after the airline reported a third-quarter lack of 5.6 million dinars ($18.three million). “As a prudent enterprise, now we have to take a look at all price components.”
The low-cost airline has additionally renegotiated leases with all lessors, “which gave us important price financial savings for the yr,” mentioned Ramachandran, who final month took his first wage since February. Different members of the management crew took a 50% pay minimize, whereas shareholders agreed to retain dividends resulting from them within the enterprise, he mentioned.
Whereas business flights at Kuwait Worldwide Airport resumed on Aug. 1, following an easing of restrictions after a lockdown in March, flights from 34 nations are nonetheless suspended. Jazeera ended the nine-month interval with a money steadiness of 23.three million dinars.
Because the pandemic upended the journey, governments around the globe have been pressured to step in and supply lifelines to their nationwide carriers. The Dubai-based Emirates, which has needed to minimize 1000’s jobs, and Qatar Airways acquired $2 billion every. Etihad Airways has responded to the upheaval by chopping 1000’s jobs and increasing the interval of diminished pay for employees till the top of this yr.
