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Qatar Airways has announced that it will lay off nearly 20 percent of its workforce after a drop in travel demand due to the Corona epidemic.
“Unfortunately, we will have to fire approximately 20 percent of our workforce, equivalent to the number of planes that will not take off on flights three years ago. The decision is very difficult but we had no choice,” said CEO Akbar Al-Baker. to the BBC.
This is the first time that Qatar Airways determines the number of workers it intends to lay off. The state company, and one of the largest airlines in the Middle East, announced on May 5 that it was considering cutting “a lot of jobs.”
The company employs 46,684 employees worldwide, according to its latest financial report released in March 2019. Accordingly, it is in the process of laying off nearly 9,000 employees.
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Al-Baker had said in March that the company was running low on liquidity and could end up seeking help from the government.
Qatar Airways is buying shares in many airlines around the world, hoping to attract as many passengers to its planes.
Al-Baker had previously told Reuters news agency that the company was gradually rebuilding its network, but a full recovery could take around four years, saying: “I would be very surprised if something happens before 2023 or 2024.”
Al-Baker added that many business travelers may never return after getting used to working remotely, as well as closing many businesses because of the epidemic.
Al-Bakir warned that the fourteen-day quarantine process that some countries plan to impose on air travelers may cripple the industry.
Al-Baker told the BBC that this quarantine operation “will destroy the industry and eliminate the viability of the ports, and I don’t think it will solve the problem. You can see what is happening in South Korea and other countries, including in Germany. The infection comes back. The only solution is the treatment and the serum. “
The global civil aviation movement is witnessing a significant decline in demand in light of travel restrictions and traveler fears of crown infection.
Governments around the world warn their citizens of any unnecessary movements or movements. Countries such as those of the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and others have also announced to close their borders to foreign visitors. With the increasing number of places closed for visits, many tourists were forced to cancel their vacations, while others were stranded outside their countries.
