British Airways announces cuts at Gatwick - Gatwick Airport News

Airport news for Gatwick on 08/12/2008.

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From mid-2009, BA is reducing its fleet at Gatwick from 41 to 37, and will be cutting the number of ground staff on a voluntary basis, an email statement from the airline indicated.

“We have briefed our staff and their trade unions that the number of departures at Gatwick will reduce by 15 percent next summer compared to this summer,” the statement read. “We aim to have a voluntary severance program in place by the end of the year,” in order to reduce our “ground operations staff at the airport by more than 100 people.”

On 2 December, the carrier indicated in its merger talks with Qantas, that consolidating operations would help make significant reductions in costs as the industry overall sees airlines struggle for profitability. In November, BA announced that it would end its services linking Gatwick with Zurich and Dublin.

The union representing British Airways ground staff, GMB, said that the announcement of jobs cuts had been a surprise.

“We will be speaking to British Airways tomorrow to establish exactly what is happening,” said Adrian Baker, a spokesman for the union. “We’d like to try and save as many jobs as possible,” but he added that it was too soon to say whether any industrial action would result.

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