Virgin axes 600 jobs

VIRGIN Atlantic is to axe 600 jobs and cut capacity by seven per cent by the end of the year.

Steve Ridgway, chief executive, said: “The outlook for the industry is as bleak as ever and all airlines are having to shrink their businesses. The fittest will survive and be in a stronger position when the economy grows.”

These latest losses are on top of the 600 cut in February, bringing the total to ultimately be lost to 8,400 (14 per cent of the current staffing amount). There has also been a pay freeze since March.

Virgin said it will not operate its daily Heathrow-Chicago service this winter and was that it will also suspend one of its two daily services between Heathrow and Hong Kong.