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Aug 3 (Reuters) – Qantas Airways Ltd QAN.AX stated on Tuesday about 2,500 staff can be stood down for 2 months, as recent COVID-19 restrictions throughout Australia hold a lid on home flights.
The choice will instantly affect home pilots, cabin crew and airport staff, largely in New South Wales, the airline stated, including that no job losses had been anticipated from the transfer.
“Qantas and Jetstar have gone from working nearly 100% of their regular home flying in Might to lower than 40% in July,” Chief Government Officer Alan Joyce stated in a press release.
The fast unfold of the Delta variant off the coronavirus has compelled Australia to lock down giant elements of the nation with New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, notably onerous hit by infections.
“Hopefully, as soon as different states open again as much as South Australia and Victoria within the subsequent week or so, and the present outbreak in Brisbane is introduced underneath management, our home flying will come again to round 50%-60% of regular ranges,” Joyce stated.
The airline stated staff of Qantas and Jetstar enterprise items to be stood down shall be given two weeks discover and proceed to be paid till mid-August.
Final 12 months, Qantas axed a minimum of 20% of its workforce and raised billions of {dollars} in money underneath a sweeping cost-saving plan prompted by the pandemic.
(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Modifying by Maju Samuel)
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