Dubai’s state-owned airline, Emirates, has fired 180 pilots as it implements cost-cutting measures in order to remain afloat amid the global COVID-19 pandemic that has seen a dip in airline revenues.
Moneycontrol reports that the layoffs, which will take effect on 15th June 2020, involve pilots who are first officers under training for type-rating on the A380. These pilots are still on probation.
The layoffs come weeks after the airline announced plans to layoff 30% off its crew and pilots, translating to about 30,000 employees.
The airline has already implemented survival measures, including reducing staff salaries by between 25% and 50% for three months. Tim Clark, the outgoing president of the airline, will go without pay for the same duration. In April, the airline received an undisclosed amount of government bailout in order to survive the pandemic.
Read Also: Emirates Receives Govt Bailout to Survive COVID-19
This year, the Group recorded a 28% decline in full-year profit as the impact of the coronavirus cut into earnings in March. The group results showed that net income for the year ended 31st March 2020 hit approximately $463 million, down from $626 million last year.
Read Also: Emirates Group Profit Drops 28%
Emirates is a state-owned airline based in Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. It is also the largest airline in the Middle East, and the world’s fourth-largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown.
The airline flies to over 150 destinations across six continents, operating a fleet of over 250 wide-bodied aircraft.
Even though Emirates resumed flights to eight countries as from 21st May 2020, Tim Clark, its President, warns that the airlines will emerge 20-30% smaller after the Coronavirus, as it plans to retire a large proportion of its fleet. This would include about 40 of its 115, A380 aircraft.
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