At the Basel maintenance site of the business jet operator Jet Aviation, up to 80 jobs are on the brink. The company is severely affected by the crisis that arose in the wake of Russia's military attack on Ukraine.

At Basel-Mulhouse Airport, Jet Aviation has an MRO operation that carries out both maintenance and conversions. It is an open secret that wealthy Russians have been an important customer group for business aviation in Western Europe. The sanctions imposed by the European Union and Switzerland, among others, mean that they can no longer be served. Numerous providers in commercial aviation are affected.

Jet Aviation told SRF, among other things: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a serious impact on our business activities. For this reason, we have adjusted the headcount to the expected decrease in business volume”. The Basel-Mulhouse site alone currently employs around 1.000 people, with the vast majority coming from France.

Around 80 jobs are currently on the brink, although according to the works council there should be a social plan. But there is also criticism, because SRF quotes Jean-Luc Johaneck, President of the CDTF cross-border commuters association, as saying that Jet Aviation should first prove that the mass layoffs are justified at all. The official also points out that 2020 employees were already cut in 200 “because of Corona”.