Singapore low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia will cut five Airbus A320s and axe 180 staff as it seeks to ride out the coronavirus pandemic.
The move will reduce the carrier’s fleet to just 13 aircraft, it says. The carrier made the adjustments after consultations with shareholders. Qantas Group owns 49% of the airline and Singapore shareholder Westbrook Investments 51%.
The move was announced in parallel with Qantas’s decision last week to slash both its fleet and work force, as well as undertake an A$1.9 billion ($1.3 billion) fund raising.
The 180 job cuts represent about 26% of Jetstar Asia’s workforce. The majority of the airline’s remaining workers will remain furloughed until December 2020.
“COVID-19 has delivered the single biggest shock to the aviation industry and as a result we have had to make incredibly difficult decisions to ensure we protect the business and our people as best as possible, while securing our future success,” says Jetstar Asia chief executive Bara Pasupathi.
“There is no doubt that the travel market will look very different moving forward, so it is imperative that we change and adapt…Singapore and Changi Airport remain a strategic footprint for Jetstar Asia and the Qantas Group and we look forward to growing passenger numbers further through innovation and enhancing the customer experience in the future.”
