Air France to cut jobs amid ‘fierce’ competition

Air France blamed intense competition from high-speed rail and low-cost rivals as it announced 465 job cuts and a scaling back of its domestic network. The airline said Monday it would reduce headcount through voluntary redundancies over the next year, while capacity for travel within France would fall 15% by the end of 2021. CE Anne Rigai said that while the airline would hire in some areas over the coming year, “we also have the responsibility to guarantee an even balance of our activities in certain sectors to secure their long-term viability”. The airline, which has suffered from a poor relationship with its unions in recent years, will have to navigate the job losses carefully. Strikes over pay cost it E335m in the first half of 2018. Unions Monday reacted cautiously to the plans. <br/>