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03 May 2020The British aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plans to cut 8,000 jobs due to the collapse of air traffic caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The figure represents around 15% of the company's workforce. "The impact of Covid-19 is unprecedented.

We have taken swift measures to increase our liquidity, drastically reducing expenses but we have to go even further," said a group spokesman, specifying that there are negotiations with the unions and that a decision will be communicated this month.

The announcement of Rolls-Royce adds to the 3,000 layoffs planned by the Irish airline Ryanair and the 12,000 of British Airways, against the background of a serious crisis in the aviation sector due to the coronavirus. Virgin Atlantic has also asked the British government for help to survive, but so far there has been no response.

Rolls-Royce had already canceled its dividend in April and expected a major impact of the pandemic on its results. Since 2018, the company has reduced its workforce by 4,600 people, mainly in administrative services. This time, the cuts will mainly affect workers working on civil aviation engines.