Other airlines face lay-offs

Press, 22 November 1980, Page 7

Other airlines face lay-offs

PA Air New Zealand shares its redundancy crisis and staffing problems with many other international airlines, according to a report recently circulated to International Air Transport Association members. Staff at Air New Zealand House in Auckland speculated that 600 to 900 people out of the 9000 workforce could lose their jobs. Few of the staff would comment on reports, but onei said, “There is a lot of 1 loyalty about the place. I However, my daughter, just! back from Britain, says that! airline staff there are also affected.’’ According to the report distributed to the I.A.T.A. members, the British Air- ; ways situation “is very serious.” As well as reducing 50 weekly flights, 3500 jobs ' would go in the next year,

I followed by 200 in each of the next few years, using the “sinking lid” principle, i The report said that faced with rising costs, falling yields and siminishing markets, other airlines were making these staff cuts — Pan American World Airways: 3500 jobs, beginning in - October — by lay-offs and early retirements; Scandinavian Airlines: to reduce by 10 per cent — 1700 jobs over the next two years; I Continental (U.S.): to lose 1300 of its 12,000 work- | force; • ! Western (U.S.): lay off 130 imore people. Earlier this 'year 570 lost their jobs; El Al (Israel): reduced staff by 1500 earlier this year and plans to reduce by another 500; and .United Airlines (U.S.): will dismiss 360 pilots by the end of this year. The staff was already reduced by 2000 this year.