Singapore Airlines says it will cut capacity by 11 per cent from April as demand for air travel continues to shrink.
This will involve the decommissioning of 17 aircraft.
The airline says 2009 will be a very difficult year as the drop in demand has been sharp and swift.
SIA says it's in talks with staff and unions on cost cutting measures.
Such measures include accelerated clearance of leave entitlements, voluntary leave without pay, voluntary early retirement and shorter work months.
If there are to be cuts in salary, the management will be the first to take them.
Its management will undertake a pay cut first if needed.
SIA says it will retrench only as a last resort.
Chief Executive Officer, Chew Choon Seng, said the airline does not have the luxury of time and needs agreement to act on some measures quickly so that retrenchments, if any, can be pushed back as far as possible.
--938Live
and when they are making profits like fuck only top management get the bonus
the poor employees have to suffer like fuck during this kind of things
That's worklife in SG,All they know is cheap labour.You see the cabin crew nowadays full of foreigners.They sacrifice their reputation just to save a few peanut dollars.I got a feeling some of the old staffs awaiting to be retrenched.Now all like siao cut cost,Meral allowances,No nil breaks allowances,Less OT,Workers overwork(2 men doing 4 men jobs).Got a feeling some local aircraft tow tug drivers will be replaced by Filipinos and China Kia join cabin crew sooner
SIA cuts services to nearly 20 destinations
Singapore Airlines today announced flight cuts to nearly 20 destinations as well as the use of smaller aircraft on selected routes from end March to mid October.
This comes a day after the national carrier said that it would reduce capacity by 11% and ground 17 jets this financial year.
Adding on to the list of affected destinations is Australia, where the popular Sydney service will be reduced to three times daily till July.
Flights to London will be maintained.
However the service will be replaced with a smaller Boeing aircraft that carries 97 fewer passengers, or a seat reduction of 7.5%.
Flights to Manchester will be reduced from the current five times a week to three times weekly.
The Singapore-Bangkok-Tokyo flights will be cut by one service per week.
As for China, flights to Beijing, Guangzhou and Nanjing will be reduced.
Other destinations affected include Brisbane, Perth Fukuoka, Nagoya, Rome, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
SIA says the drop in demand owning to the global economic downturn is the driver of the reduction in capacity.
--938Live
I have insider info(from personnel in HR dept) that 3 ~ 5% of workforce will go(and will be outsourced). Most will be from its subsidiaries. Sad that the aviation industry has become so badly hit...