Airbus executive says aviation outlook worse than expected

The outlook for the aviation industry has deteriorated again due to rising coronavirus infections and renewed travel restrictions, Airbus COO Michael Schoellhorn was quoted as saying on Saturday. With air travel at a fraction of normal levels due to restrictions and travellers’ fears related to the pandemic, airlines have slowed deliveries of new aircraft. Airbus has said it needs to shed 15,000 posts worldwide. Schoellhorn said the situation in early autumn was worse than the company had expected in the summer, adding that the planned 15,000 job cuts would be the minimum. As some Airbus factories were already underutilized before the pandemic, labour unions now fear that the management could decide to shut down entire locations. At least for Germany, Schoellhorn ruled out such a move. “In terms of substance, I do not see any German locations at risk at the moment,” he said.<br/>