London City has announced restructuring plans which could see up to 35 per cent of the airport’s workforce being lost.

LCY said that the “crucial” plans were being announced to safeguard the airport as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has opened consultation with staff “to explore ways of reducing costs, including voluntary redundancy”, and said that the proposals could result in up to 239 roles being lost across the organisation.

London City airport reopened on June 21 after a three-month closure, initially serving domestic routes, before adding international flights in mid-July.

But the airport said that “passenger numbers have remained well below 2019 levels and this is expected to continue during the upcoming winter season”.

Last month LCY announced plans to pause its £500 million development programme at the end of the year, with the airport warning that “it has become clearer that the recovery to previous levels will take longer than initially expected”.

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Commenting on the latest news Robert Sinclair, CEO of London City airport, said:

“It is with huge regret that we are announcing this restructuring programme today and our thoughts are with all of our highly valued staff and their families.

“The aviation sector is in the throes of the biggest downturn it has ever experienced as a result of the pandemic. We have held off looking at job losses for as long as possible, but sadly we are not immune from the devasting impact of this virus.

“Our focus in the coming weeks is to help all staff through this exceptionally difficult period. We are committed to playing our part in rebuilding a stronger local and national economy once the worst of the downturn passes and believe that the difficult decisions we are taking now will enable the airport to bounce back in a better shape when growth returns.”

Last month Gatwick airport announced plans to to lay off up to a quarter of its employees, while in June Heathrow airport announced that its employment levels were “no longer sustainable”, and has begun the process of restructuring its frontline roles.

londoncityairport.com