"The Survival of British Airways" is in doubt warned the airlines CEO Alex Cruz on Friday in a video and memo (pictured below) to staff, indicating staff cuts were on the way.
The briefing to employees of the UK's largest legacy carrier was titled “the survival of British Airways” and detailed that the airline was facing a crisis “of global proportions like no other we have known - Please do not underestimate the seriousness of this for our company". He said it was more serious than the financial crisis, SARS or 9/11 and it was likely the carrier would ground flights 'like never before' and lay off staff in response to the coronavirus pandemic. There was little to find positive in the message to staff as Cruz warned job cuts could be "short term, perhaps long term".
Whilst British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus were part of the massive IAG, which has a strong financial balance sheet, Cruz warned BA was under “immense pressure” saying it had "to react fast and definitively in response to the worsening situation”. IAG’s share price has fallen by 42% in the last month alone.
The airline's press office refused to comment when asked how many of the 45,000 employees might be laid off or how many flights would be cancelled. However, airline staff members at London Gatwick have told us they've been informed they can expect at least a third of their workforce to be laid off in the short term.
In recent days, British Airways have flown a number of Embraer E190 twin jets to Norwich from its London City Airport base for temporary storage. Three Airbus A319 aircraft, registrations G-EUPE, G-EUOC and G-EUOD approaching twenty years old, have been withdrawn from service, flown to St. Athan Airport, near Cardiff ready to be scrapped. More details of British Airways aircraft movements can be found on BA Source.
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