Qatar Airlines has issued a company notice warning cabin crew to prepare for redundancies, as the impact of the disruption takes its toll on Qatar’s financial health.
In the notice to cabin crew, reported by Reuters, Qatar states:
“We have to face a new reality, where many borders are closed, rendering many of our destinations closed and aircraft grounded as a result, with no foreseeable outlook for immediate, positive change.
“The truth is, we simply cannot sustain the current numbers and we need to make a substantial number of jobs redundant – inclusive of cabin crew.”
The notice did, however, confirm that all staff would be paid their contractual dues and assistance would be provided to those unable to return to their home countries immediately, including housing and living allowances.
Simple Flying also has reported that a spokesperson had told them:
“The unparalleled impact on our industry has caused significant challenges for all airlines and we must act decisively to protect the future of our business. As a result, Qatar Airways can confirm that the airline will make a number of roles redundant due to the impact of COVID-19. Any job loss is regrettable, and we will be working closely with all affected employees to offer our full support during this difficult time.
“We are extremely proud of the professionalism, dedication and loyalty of all members of the Qatar Airways family and thank them for their contribution in making the airline the global leader it is today. When circumstances improve, it is our intention to enable employees to rejoin when possible.”
There has been no indication of the scale of cuts but Qatar Airways employs more than 46,000 people and is owned by the government of Qatar.
The airline was previously flying to more than 170 destinations with 234 aircraft but has had that schedule cut to just 35 destinations as a result of the disruption caused by the pandemic.
Despite these expected job cuts, Qatar is still looking to recommence some flights and routes as soon as June.
The company has revealed its plans to resume flights in a phased approach following the aviation industry’s free fall. The staged reintroduction will see up to 52 destinations resumed by the end of May, including Manila, Amman and Nairobi.
However, even more flights are planned for June. By the end of the month, Qatar Airways hopes to have resumed flights to 80 destinations, six in Africa, four in the Americas, 33 in the Asia-Pacific region, 23 in Europe, and 14 in the Middle East.
This reboot is not expected to be a quick process. With further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic still occurring, it is likely to take many months to reintroduce some services.
