At golf carrier Etihad Airways, around 1.000 of 4.800 flight attendants fear about their jobs. The carrier plans to send them on unpaid leave. A similar approach is also used for pilots, but to a much lesser extent. There should also be redundancies in both professional groups.

Those affected should be informed promptly by their employer by email. This is reported by the Reuters agency, citing internal documents. The A380 fleet, consisting of ten units, is to remain on the ground indefinitely. A reactivation should only take place if the demand increases significantly. Etihad Airways expects a very slow recovery from the consequences of the corona pandemic.

Company boss Tony Douglas presented a new strategy earlier this month. The golf carrier will significantly reduced in size and is to become a full-service medium-sized airline. The fleet will primarily focus on twin-engine, wide-body jets. It is unclear how things will go with the large orders for the A320neo series that Airbus has placed. In any case, the A380 fleet will remain on the ground indefinitely. It is unclear whether this will ever be reactivated.

“As Etihad continues to focus on restoring and rebuilding our global network, we will continue to rely on the efficiency and benefits of our twin-engine wide-body aircraft. During this period, Etihad's ten A380s will remain on the ground unless demand grows and there is enough appetite to reassess their viability. As always, we continue to focus on the wellbeing and safety of our guests while delivering the high quality service they deserve and expect from Etihad, ”said an Etihad spokesman upon request.