Airline company British Airways has announced plans to reduce its flight schedule and cut jobs as the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a major impact on the airline industry. The company plans to operate only 30% of its usual flights in the coming months, with a focus on domestic and European routes. This decision comes after a significant drop in demand for air travel, as well as travel restrictions and quarantine measures imposed by various countries.

The reduced flight schedule will also result in job cuts, with the company expecting to lay off up to 12,000 employees. This represents almost 30% of its total workforce of 42,000 people. The job cuts are expected to affect all areas of the company, including pilots, cabin crew, and ground staff.

British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), reported a 13% decrease in passenger revenue in the first quarter of 2020. This was largely due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has led to a significant decrease in air travel worldwide. The company also reported a loss of €535 million in the first quarter, compared to a profit of €135 million in the same period last year.

The company’s CEO, Alex Cruz, stated that the airline is facing the biggest challenge in its history and that the job cuts are necessary for the company’s survival. He also mentioned that the airline is not expecting demand to return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023.

British Airways is not the only airline company facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. Other major airlines, such as Ryanair and EasyJet, have also announced job cuts and reduced flight schedules. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that global airline passenger revenues will decrease by $314 billion in 2020, a 55% decrease from 2019.

In response to the news, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has called for government support to prevent further job losses in the airline industry. BALPA stated that the government must take immediate action to protect jobs and ensure the survival of the airline industry.

This decision by British Airways highlights the devastating impact of the pandemic on the airline industry and the need for government support to help the industry recover. With travel restrictions and quarantine measures still in place in many countries, it is uncertain when air travel will return to normal levels. In the meantime, airlines are being forced to make difficult decisions in order to survive the crisis.