The two gulf companies Emirates and Etihad have decided to prolong to September 2020 the wage reduction they imposed on their staff since April 1, 2020.
This temporary reduction of 25% to 50% affects most employees and was supposed to end by July 2020. However, due to the financial pressure caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, which kept most of their fleet grounded, the two companies have decided to extend wage reductions until September 2020. Some of the cuts are even expected to deepen.
On June 1, 2020, Emirates announced its plan to cut up to 30,000 jobs to stay airborne. The Dubai government indicated it would support its flag carrier. Jobs are also at stake at Etihad and Qatar Airways.
Connecting flights in the Gulf should start resuming throughout June 2020, after the United Arab Emirates lifted a ban on stopovers.