All rights reserved. Easyjet is to cut as many as 4,500 jobs as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the airline industry. EasyJet is already planning to cut 4,500 jobs or 30% of its workforce because of the coronavirus crisis, and Lundgren said quarantine would make the situation even worse. Easyjet employs 8,000 people in the UK, 7,000 of them are currently furloughed as part of the UK government’s Job Retention Scheme. The company will launch an employee consultation within coming days, in order to decide where the job losses will happen. Earlier on Tuesday, Birmingham airport announced that it would be laying off up to 250 people, more than a quarter of directly employed staff, due to the coronavirus downturn. The Balpa general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “We know that aviation is in the midst of the Covid crisis, and we had been expecting easyJet to make an announcement of temporary measures to help the airline through to recovery. Your support powers our independent journalism, Available for everyone, funded by readers, Standard fare passengers will be restricted to one free underseat bag from 10 February, Airline to run 20% of flights for rest of 2020 but says vaccine news has boosted bookings, Airline expects to fly no more than 20% of planned capacity for rest of 2020, The airline has time to act, and a reasonable base from which to assemble a self-help package. At the beginning of the month, Ryanair also stated it was axing 15 per cent of its 20,000-strong workforce, mainly pilot and cabin crew staff, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ground flights. STAFF of easyJet threatened by job losses at Stansted Airport staged a demonstration on Friday. BALPA is shocked at the size of potential job losses which equates to nearly 1-in-3 of easyJet pilots in the UK, which it says doesn’t add up. The pilots’ union, Balpa, said that the layoffs were “an overreaction” and that it would be “fighting to save every single job”. We excite. EasyJet confirms closure of 3 UK bases, job losses Tuesday preview: ZEW economic expectations index, Glencore in the spotlight Dunelm deputy chairman reduces stake The government’s ongoing failure to provide such support is directly resulting in huge job losses throughout the industry and is threatening the viability of airlines and airports alike.”. EasyJet’s chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said: “These are very difficult proposals to put forward in what is an unprecedented and difficult time for the airline and the industry as a whole. UK low-cost carrier easyJet has revealed plans today to cut thousands of jobs. EasyJet to charge for overhead locker storage, EasyJet slumps to £1.3bn loss as Covid forces it to cut flights, EasyJet cuts more flights and sells planes after new Covid controls, There's no harm in asking but easyJet shouldn't bet on a bailout, EasyJet calls for more UK state support for airline industry, Covid has left easyJet 'hanging by thread', union official tells staff, EasyJet launches £450m rights issue to shore up Covid defence, EasyJet's axe-wielding smacks of opportunism. Come and join us. He called for the government to step in with measures to help aviation in the UK, which he said was “caught in a death spiral of despair”. Any bailout at easyjet would be controversial after the airline paid a £174m dividend to shareholders in March, when the crisis was already under way. Now to turn around and say that doing the right thing means you may lose your job could have a chilling effect on the safety culture in easyJet from now on. 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