TUI UK is to furlough 11,000 of its 13,200 UK staff, including the majority of its travel agents.
The operator said 4,455 travel agency staff (95% of the total number) will be furloughed from tomorrow. Cabin crew, pilots, staff in retail and head office roles make up the remaining 6,545.
A ‘small number’ of people will continue working in a virtual call centre.
TUI UK and Ireland managing director Andrew Flintham said: "The travel industry is facing unprecedented pressure.
"We will continue to put the customer at the heart of what we do, and when they can holiday with us again we want to be in the best position to deliver the wide range of destinations and experiences we do today.
"It is therefore imperative that we make these difficult cost decisions and also look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty. We are a fantastic business and we look forward to taking people on holiday again soon."
