Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer of the largest aircraft manufacturer Airbus, warned the company’s staff about the upcoming lay-offs. The aircraft industry has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. It is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 knockdown. Activity in this field is stalled due to the coronavirus containment measures. However, experts suggest that mass redundancies in the aircraft industry are likely to only boost unemployment. In this regard, the French government and a number of trade unions called on the Airbus management to give up their plans to cut staff. However, members of the Airbus executive board are not willing to give hope to employees for nothing, emphasizing that the current crisis may be deep and long-lasting, as well as have unpredictable consequences.
Airbus intends to displace around 15,000 employees. Thus, some 5,000 workers will join the dole queue in France and Germany, and about 900-1,600 people will be laid off in Spain. Notably, another plane maker, Boeing, finds it difficult to stay aloft as well. The losses of the American aviation giant amid the coronavirus crisis and the introduction of quarantine restrictions have been incredibly high, since the company had to cancel hundreds of orders. In April 2020, Boeing intended to cut around 10% of its staff. However, it was not enough to change the situation for the better.
