NITN | @notintownlive | 25 Mar 2020, 10:11 am
Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: WestJet, Canada’s second-largest air carrier, has said that nearly 7,000 of its employees will have to leave the company due to the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the airline industry.
"Today, 6,900 WestJetters are receiving notices of both voluntary and involuntary leaves due to the impact of COVID-19. This is devastating news. We commend those who are standing down so that our airline can stand up," the company wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday.
It comes after Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, said last week that it was laying off 5,000 employees due to a cut in flights. It noted that the layoffs would be temporary, with employees being moved to "off duty" status in the company.
As the coronavirus spreads across borders, governments introduce entry bans and travel restrictions in a bid to contain the outbreak. According to the most recent statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University, over 428,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 19,000 fatalities have been confirmed globally to date.
(Image: Pixabay)
- Qatar Airways to commence operations at JFK’s New Terminal One by 2026, opening its first U.S. lounge
- Air Canada flights remain grounded as Canadian government intervenes to end cabin crew's strike
- Air India to stop Delhi-Washington flights from September 1. Know all details
- IndiGo begins direct flights from Hindon to nine major cities, boosting NCR air connectivity
- Air India issues advisory after network outage at Mumbai airport
- Malaysia Airlines adds more flights to Trivandrum from September 2025
- IndiGo brings Europe and the UK closer to India through KLM Agreement
- Etihad Airways and Azul Brazilian Airlines announce frequent flyer partnership
- Emirates to launch upgraded Boeing 777 to Madrid from September 16
- Air India to launch direct flights from Delhi to Philippines starting Oct 2025
Qatar Airways will move its New York operations to The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in 2026. As part of the relocation, the airline plans to open a 15,000-square-foot lounge, its first dedicated facility in both New York City and the United States.
All Air Canada planes remained grounded late Saturday despite the Canadian government intervening to end a strike called by cabin crew members that resulted in hundreds of flights being cancelled and triggered chaos, media reports said.
Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday announced the suspension of its services between Delhi and Washington, D.C., effective September 1, 2025, due to a combination of operational factors, to ensure the reliability and integrity of the airline's overall route network.