Virgin Atlantic has said that it will stop flying from London Gatwick Airport as it expects to cut just over 3,000 jobs or up to a third of its workforce.
Having taken its inaugural flight from Gatwick in 1984, the airline, which was founded by Sir Richard Branson, has struggled to secure a UK Government bailout following the coronavirus crisis. It plans to reshape and resize the business to ensure it is fit for the future.
Describing how the airline has weathered many storms since its first flight 36 years ago, Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO said that “none have been as devastating as COVID-19.” While Government and private sector talks (to financially support the airline) are ongoing, Weiss stressed that the carrier “needs to reduce costs and preserve cash.
The carrier plans to retain its landing slots at the airport in case demand increases in the future, although it has made it clear it will leave with or without holding on to the slots. Instead it will focus on operating from its London Heathrow base and Manchester.
The announcement will be a further blow to Gatwick as Virgin’s decision to cull its workforce and stop flying from Gatwick follows the news that British Airways plans to make up to 12,000 of its staff redundant and could also look to exit Gatwick. The union Unite has said that the latest move threatens the future of Gatwick Airport.
“We have grave concerns about the impact on Gatwick Airport and the local economy following this latest blow,” said Unite assistant general secretary, Diana Holland.
“The Virgin announcement that it is pulling out of Gatwick follows that of Norwegian and BA indicating that they are reducing operations and pulling out of Gatwick.
“There have been 18,000 job losses announced in the UK aviation sector in the last week alone and this makes the case even more more strongly that the aviation industry-specific package Unite has consistently called for, and the government has promised, must now be delivered.
“The UK has world class airline and aerospace companies –highly developed and world leading, but the sector needs support in the period of recovery from this pandemic, if it is to retain this position.”
