Airbus has announced that it will be extending staff furloughs in various company sectors in both the U.K. and Spain. In the UK, some 2,200 Airbus workers will have their period of furlough extended up until August 9, while in Spain, most of the Company’s SL employees will be furloughed until September 30, which extends to approximately 3,100 people.
“Airbus Helicopters and Airbus DS employees in Spain are not impacted”, a spokesman said. In France, 29,500 of Airbus employees are working at an approximately 30% reduced capacity and the company anticipates that once the furlough period is over, there will be “deep” job cuts because of the knock-on effects f the coronavirus pandemic. The company had advised senior staff it must be “resized” in plans to be set out around end-June.
Towards the beginning of the month, France announced a 15-billion-euro ($16.76 billion) support package for its aerospace industry to protect a massive number of jobs were at stake amid a slump in air travel demand due to the coronavirus. According to the French government the total included 7 billion euros (US$7.8 billion) of aid previously announced for Air France and an acceleration of existing orders for Airbus tankers and other military kit.
