Singapore Airlines mulling voluntary unpaid leave for staff

Thursday, 27 Feb, 2020 0

Singapore Airlines has imposed a hiring freeze and may also ask current staff to take voluntary unpaid leave.

It comes after a third round of capacity cuts on routes within Asia and beyond.

SIA group airlines SIA, SilkAir and budget carrier Scoot have suspended more than 3,000 flights until the end of May leaving excess manpower.

It means about 500 cabin crew members and around 50 pilots are not being fully utilised, hence the plan to offer unpaid leave.

"In response to Covid-19, a general recruitment freeze has been implemented for all ground positions, and non-essential duty travel has been suspended. We are closely monitoring the situation and will be decisive in implementing any additional measures that may be needed," the airline said.

In an internal memo CEO Goh Choon Phong said the virus had caused a significant drop in demand with loadings well down across Asia and globally.

"We will continue to be nimble and flexible in adjusting our capacity to match the changing demand patterns in the market," Goh said.

Changi Airport Group this week reported a big fall in total passenger traffic at the airport for the first two weeks of February.

It is down over 25% and a massive 85% between China and Singapore.

below social share icons

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

STA was established to support the growth of the travel and tourism sector by serving the needs of tourism companies...

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

To say Sweden is fit for a fairy tale is not overstating it—the palaces dazzle, the boreal forests are brimming...

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for planning, organising, financing and delivering the...

A state like no other. A place known for togetherness, celebration and happiness. In Louisiana, we call it “joie de...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 30 brands and 8,000+ properties across 139 countries and territories give...

Local spices spike the fragrant air of Morocco. Cradled by the dunes of the Sahara, the Kingdom has been inhabited...

Our leadership is bold. Our agility thrives on open innovation and we embrace the new, whether it’s diversity, trends, challenges....

The Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) is one of several dozen national tourism organisations operating in the...

Holiday Extras is the UK market leader in airport parking, airport hotels, worldwide airport lounges, destination car hire, airport transfers...

Air Transat is Canada’s number one leisure airline. It flies to some 60 international destinations in more than 25 countries...

Discover Sarawak Revealing a side of Asia unlike anywhere else, Sarawak offers an alternative for those seeking humble authenticity far...

With long periods of Thailand’s History, according to evidences and studies, Sukhothai was the first kingdom of Thailand. At that time, an early Thai...