Coronavirus: Lufthansa-owned Brussels Airlines to cut 1,000 jobs

Brussels Airlines announced it would reduce its workforce by a quarter by cutting 1,000 jobs as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the aviation industry. Brussels Airlines, which is Belgium’s biggest carrier, said that the “extremely negative impact of the coronavirus crisis on the company’s financials and ongoing very low demand for air travel” has forced it to make structural changes to reduce costs. The overall size of the company in terms of its workforce will be 25% smaller, the airline said. “This unprecedented crisis has worsened our financial situation obliging us to take substantial and indispensable measures. The restructuring is urgently needed in order to survive the current crisis and to become structurally competitive in the future,” Brussels CEO Dieter Vranckx said. It will also reduce its fleet by 30%, and no longer fly on unprofitable routes. The airline does not expect demand for air travel to return to a “new normal” until 2023. The airline is in talks with the Belgian government for a E290m bailout to weather the crisis, and said it is also seeking financial assistance from its owner Lufthansa.<br/>