Job under threat as Virgin cuts flights

Up to 600 jobs are under threat at Virgin Atlantic after the carrier announced it was cutting back on its winter services.
The airline is reducing the number of flights by seven percent compared to last year in response to falling sales. These include cutting its Heathrow-Chicago daily service, and reducing its service between Heathrow and Hong Kong from two to one per day.The exact number has yet to be determined but Virgin said it hoped any headcount reduction could be achieved through sabbaticals, job sharing or voluntary redundancy. It confirmed it would begin a period of consultation with workers shortly.
Earlier this year, the airline said another 600 jobs would go due to the downturn in the aviation sector.
Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway 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.
“We will look to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies and ensure we treat our staff as fairly as possible.”
British Airways also announced changes to its winter schedule, decreasing flight frequency from Heathrow to destinations including Paris, Brussels and Berlin, although it is not axing any routes and is increasing the number of flights to other destinations, including Warsaw and Istanbul. 
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