British low-cost airline EasyJet has grounded its entire commercial fleet amid “unprecedented travel restrictions”.
Speaking on Monday (local time), the business announced it would be pulling all aircraft from operations, and that its UK cabin crew would be put on furlough until further notice.
Though the airline did not estimate a date for return to service, staff stood down will be able to recover 80 per cent of wages through the government’s ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.’
EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said that he was “working tirelessly” to ensure the airline was “well-positioned to overcome the challenges of coronavirus”.
“I am extremely proud of the way in which people across EasyJet have given their absolute best at such a challenging time,” he added.
EasyJet had already wound back much of its regular service, but continued to run repatriation flights to and from mainland Europe. According to the BBC, EasyJet has flown 650 rescue flights, responsible for the return of 45,000 British residents.
“We will continue to work with government bodies to operate additional rescue flights as requested,” Lundgren said.
Competitor Ryanair has previously hinted that it may ground its fleet through April and May. Nearly one week ago, the airline put out a release stating that “we do not expect to operate flights during the months of April and May at this time”.
However, yesterday’s announcement makes it clear that Ryanair will look to assist with repatriation efforts.
We're extending our limited flight schedule until 9 April – to maintain vital connectivity and emergency travel.
Details of these schedules can be found on https://t.co/LTBSLn5QzB? pic.twitter.com/tE9q6gOdWz
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) March 30, 2020
