Air France group reportedly plans to cut more than 7,500 jobs by the end of 2022. The flag carrier will be affected the most, with 6,560 positions out of about 41,000 threatened. More than 1,000 jobs within the regional airline Hop! could also be axed.
The management of the French group will present the restructuring plans to unions on July 3, 2020. Within the national airline, around 3,500 positions could be “naturally” reduced by voluntary departures and not renewing existing contracts. But cuts on the regional network are not ruled out.
Twenty unions, that regroup both workers from Air France and Hop!, have published a common statement to protest the measure. “All of the signatories oppose the fact that the billions of euros in aid to the Air France group can lead to massive destruction of jobs in the Air France group, as well as to the breakdown of the respective industrial areas,” reads the letter.
They also hold a grudge against the restructuring of the domestic network (called “Vesta plan”) that should see the capacity of Hop! on the French internal routes reduced by at least 20% compared to pre-coronavirus crisis levels.
The €7 billion in loans received by Air France from the French state were tied to environmental conditions. When it came to job cuts, Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire only called for Air France to avoid forced departures as part of its restructuring plan.