Ethiopian furloughs crew as virus crisis affects African aviation

Ethiopian Airlines has become the latest airline to ask employees to take unpaid leave. The request comes as Ethiopia reports its first death from COVID-19. The airline is thought to be terminating the contracts of temporary employees. Permanent staff members are being asked to take all their annual leave and up to 90 days of unpaid leave. Ethiopian Airlines is having to make tough decisions regarding the future of its 8,000 employees. A letter was reportedly sent to employees this week saying “you are hereby granted 90 consecutive days of leave without pay which will be in effect from April 03, 2020 to July 2nd 2020 after you exhaust all accrued and prorated vacation days”. However the airline refuted the rumors of unpaid leave by saying, “As our flights to over 87 destinations suspended and over 80 of our fleets are grounded, we have instructed some of our workers to take a paid leave”. According to the same letter, the airline does not want to terminate any jobs but is simply asking for staff to take leave.<br/>