During the current recession there has been a lot in the news about job losses. This is to be expected, and it has led to people wanting to stick with their current jobs instead of looking for new and better ones, as they usually would.
And this seems to be the reason why the airline easyJet has made the decision to try and cut back on staffing levels. Bristol Airport is one of the main locations that will be affected by this, and easyJet has just started the required consultation period of ninety days to try and reach the best decision possible.
So why is this happening? Well there seem to be a number of reasons. Firstly the profit margins that are enjoyed by airlines are very small. This means that any rising costs would hit them harder than some other types of businesses would feel them.
There are of course costs to be paid which are unique to the airline industry. The Airport Passenger Duty is one that appears to be causing lots of problems and ill feeling among the airlines and this is one of the reasons why easyJet is looking to make changes and reduce staffing levels.
Bristol Airport is just one of the places affected by easyJet’s decision, although it is probably the worst affected. Apparently it has more staff there than it needs, and with outgoings so high it needs to reduce every cost that it can. And unfortunately staff members are in the firing line.
Presumably it will try and find the best solution possible and perhaps offer redundancy pay where appropriate. There is always a percentage of staff members who can happily take this route, although it won’t apply to everyone.
Meanwhile Bristol Airport doesn’t seem unduly concerned about this turn of events. Perhaps they are right to feel like this; easyJet has also announced that East Midlands Airport will no longer be an airport that they will serve. Since Bristol could have been jettisoned they are probably right to feel like this. You can read more about the feelings and comments of the aviation director at the airport by going to this link.
According to a spokeswoman for easyJet we won’t find out their decision before December 2009. Coming so close to Christmas this could be seen as very bad timing by some – but no time is a good one to find out if you will be keeping your job or not.
There seems little more to do now but wait to see the outcome of this consultation period. Many airlines have been angry at the rising costs they have to cope with, including that Airport Passenger Duty mentioned earlier. But it is a shame that such costs have to result ultimately in the loss of jobs at any time.
Hopefully things will be resolved in a way that satisfies all, but we feel that this is highly unlikely. Let’s hope for the best in any event.