But workers in the sector should not be too down-hearted. According to Ian Partington, managing director of Simply Jobs Boards (www.simplygroup.net)
He said that anyone fearing they were about to lose their job or who had already been made redundant could simply log onto the firm's specialist aviation job boards and have instant access to more than a 1,000 vacancies. Airlines across the globe currently advertise positions on the site, giving workers access to the most up-to-date vacancies.
'The worldwide economic crisis has hit the airline industry very hard, with companies such as BA, which relies heavily on business class travellers, faring particularly badly,' Ian said. 'However, despite the slowdown, some airlines are continuing to recruit and any pilot, aircraft engineer or cabin crew employee, whether they be from BA or another airline, who is made redundant should not despair.
''They should simply log on to our websites and use us to help them find alternative employment.
Earlier this month (July 15) British Airways boss Willie Walsh revealed that 3,700 staff will lose their jobs by next March on top of the 2,500 workers axed since last summer. He told shareholders at BA's AGM in London: 'There is no point trying to skirt around the fact that we need a fundamental change to our employee cost base, essential to our short-term survival and, more importantly, our long-term viability.'
Mr Walsh insisted he could implement the extra job cuts without the threat of strike action, dismissing suggestions that passengers could face a summer of strikes by cabin crew and check-in staff.
BA chairman Martin Broughton warned that the aviation industry was facing its 'annus horribilis' and the biggest crisis it had ever known as it swung 'from record profits to record losses'.
Shareholders were met at the AGM in Westminster by a placard-waving demonstration by staff. Earlier, pilots at the airline accepted a 2.6 per cent pay cut as part of a package but the opposition from cabin crew remains strong and thousands of baggage handlers and check-in staff are opposed to the cost-cutting plans.
http://www.cabincrew.com, http://www.aircraftengineers.com, http://www.airlinepilots.com
