Sad times, expect more to come - also looks like they'll stop flying from Gatwick until further notice.
Virgin Atlantic is to axe up to a third of its workforce as it battles to secure new funding that would enable it to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Sky News has learnt that the airline majority-owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is to cut just over 3,000 jobs in a move that will spell the end of its long-running operations at London's Gatwick Airport.
Trade unions and staff were being briefed on the redundancies on Tuesday lunchtime, with an external announcement expected imminently, according to one official.
irgin's seven Boeing 747s are to be retired as the airline's fleet is reduced from 43 planes to 36.
A total of 3,150 jobs are at risk.
The restructuring of Virgin Atlantic's workforce will follow a week of brutal job losses across Britain's aviation industry.
Should I accept a holiday company or airline voucher? Do I have to? What are my rights?
Source: Here
Virgin Atlantic is to axe up to a third of its workforce as it battles to secure new funding that would enable it to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Sky News has learnt that the airline majority-owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is to cut just over 3,000 jobs in a move that will spell the end of its long-running operations at London's Gatwick Airport.
Trade unions and staff were being briefed on the redundancies on Tuesday lunchtime, with an external announcement expected imminently, according to one official.
irgin's seven Boeing 747s are to be retired as the airline's fleet is reduced from 43 planes to 36.
A total of 3,150 jobs are at risk.
The restructuring of Virgin Atlantic's workforce will follow a week of brutal job losses across Britain's aviation industry.
Should I accept a holiday company or airline voucher? Do I have to? What are my rights?
Source: Here
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39 Comments
sorted byNo it isn’t. Emirates is not a UK company, VA is. He also hasn’t asked for a bailout he has asked for a commercial loan.
I assume you are equally angry about Mercedes F1, a German company, has furloughed its staff so the UK taxpayer pays their wages, while Lewis Hamilton pays no UK tax living in Monaco?
He pays taxes on all of his UK companies, which is one hell of a lot and all of the employees within them pay their taxes.
Are you going to criticise IAG the owners of BA who took a £1bn handout just recently and then made 12000 people redundant? Are you going to criticise the fact that the UK government gave EasyJet a £600m loan in April?
The simple fact is Virgin Airlines are a Ltd company, Branson if he wanted to could just walk away and it wouldn’t affect his wealth at all, instead he is trying to save the company as best he can, as yet without any financial assistance. He has already invested £250m into the company to try and prop it up while rivals are getting financial help.
He should be applauded for attempting to keep people in their jobs and trying to save the one company that has had the guts to take on BA.
How much tax has he paid?
He asked the Government to bail them out and he's not even a UK taxpayer. It's like an Arab Prince coming to ask us to bail out Emirates.
Couldn’t have put it better myself. I hate all this anti Branson sentiment, he is an easy target because he is so well known.
I am gutted for you, your girlfriend and your fellow staff members, VA is an excellent company and it’s disgusting the UK government have forced them down this road by not helping out, when they helped so many others.
I hope you get through it all
No the fact is that’s exactly what he isn’t. Perhaps if you could put a valid argument together instead of tabloid headline responses you might be taken seriously.
If it were that simple. The NHS apparently ran a flawed procurement process and the lawsuit asked it to be redone. I am all for supporting the NHS but let's not get carried away by the headlines from 3 years ago and forget accountability.
What has that got to do with anything? He isn’t a UK resident so doesn’t have to pay UK tax. Virgin UK registered companies do though.
Of course. Still doesn't alter the fact that Branson is tax dodging weasel.
I was replying to their comment, didn't realise it was on your comment, whoops
Thanks.
Virgin aren’t asking for a bailout more a loan. Everything they are asking for would be paid back which Thomas cook may have not asked for, I’m unsure. Branson is indeed worth a lot but that’s tied up in assets. Cash in the bank will be a fraction. He’s already pumped 1/4 billion into it and promised he will do what he can.
Their reduction in planes is getting rid of old ones and not replacing them so good business sense!
Virgin were dead before this, KLM were suppose to buy a 31% steak but pulled out.
So that leaves Delta at 49% who refused to pump any cash they had from the US government hand outs in to their subsidiaries and holdings.
Corona has bought about the end of a bit quicker then than they might have expected but lets hope they go and Branson can stop complaing.
New companies will come and we the customer will be better off than him being constantly at war with BA like its 1992!
Im surpised Branson has not resurrected Freddy Laker to help him complain! (edited)
Who says? My sister in law works for them and hasn't heard this!!??
That’s what I am trying and getting to the bottom of, by questioning the person who said it.
They have got funding from the American government which in turn, means they can’t then give any money out.
Ok, I hope that is the case. Anyhow regardless, I'm sorry for you, Your girlfriend and other fellow staff members. Sadly most aviation companies are going to be struggling.
If the government bailed them out then the questions would be why didn't they bail Thomas Cook out etc.. Especially as Branson is worth quite a lot of money and could easily bail them out himself etc..
Why doesn't Branson put some of his own billions in?
Sued NHS
Threatened to close loads of routes and not expand other areas of his empire over brexit.
I used to like him but I wouldn't give him time of day since all the stunts he pulled.
According to ..... ?
There own press release.
BA flies the most profitable airline route in the world, one of three that end or start in Heathrow. It wants money to help prop up its less successful ventures such those against Easyjet on short haul routes and where its lost out in economy to the new airlines.
The nature of business is that if they don't make you money, you don't fly them and someone else runs them.
However, I suspect many new airlines like Norwegian who were in trouble before the virus and were started on big loans to get new planes to fly cheap will also suffer.
Like you say, they have less people to cry too then BA and Virgin. (edited)
Can you give me the link please?
Couldn’t find that info on the website
corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb/…tml
A good excuse to ditch the old aeroplanes and to keep the new ones
Very disappointed that Delta (who own 49%) are not helping financially
Let's also not forget the PPE shortage scandal, as the government has told the NHS NOT to buy them themselves, and, instead use its "private companies".
Sadly regardless, You guys are always going to be the victims.
Are you boycotting BA as well?