Belgian air carrier to cut jobs, fleet

Brussels Airlines will reduce its staff, fleet and destinations due to the negative impact of novel coronavirus pandemic, the Belgian carrier announced on Tuesday.

According to the restructuring plan, 1,000 employees will be dismissed, which amounts to 25% of its total staff.

They will also reduce their fleet by 30% or 16 aircraft, leaving only 38 carriers with the airline.

The cuts in staff and planes will also lead to a reduction in the number of destinations the company flies to, leaving only 56 instead of the previous 78.

Twenty of the canceled destinations were short-distance European towns.

The company claims to have been losing €1 million ($1.08 million) per day since it had to suspend all flights on March 21.

Besides losing current revenues, the company does not expect a quick recovery for the sector.

In 2021, demand for air travel is expected to be 25% less than it was in 2019, with a return to pre-crisis levels only possible after 2023, according to their estimations.

The Belgian flag career is partly owned by the German Lufthansa Group.

Belgium is currently negotiating with Lufthansa to provide €290 million ($314 million) in state aid to save Brussels Airlines.