Emirates
Emirates considers cutting 30,000 jobs to reduce costs. Credit: Alex Steffler.

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UAE flag carrier Emirates is reportedly planning 30,000 job cuts as it takes steps to deal with reduced passenger travel demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

People familiar with the development were reported by Bloomberg as saying that the carrier could reduce its workforce by at least 30%. As of March, Emirates had a payroll of 105,000.

Some people also told the news agency that the carrier is planning to expedite the retirement process of its A380 double-decker jets fleet.

Bloomberg quoted an Emirates email that read: “No announcement has been made regarding mass redundancies at the airline.

“Conserving cash, safeguarding our business, and preserving as much of our skilled workforce as possible remain our top priorities.”

Suspending most of its passenger flights on 25 March, Emirates raised $1.2bn in new financing in the first quarter.

The carrier recently announced its plan to operate scheduled flight services from 21 May to nine destinations, including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne.

It will also offer connections in Dubai for customers travelling between the UK and Australia.

The plans are subject to approval from the government.

The carrier has also implemented improved precautionary measures to ensure the wellbeing and safety of its employees, customers and communities throughout the journey.