Virgin Atlantic is responding to a drop in demand for air travel by cutting 600 jobs.
The airline said it was continuing to reshape its business to ensure it remains strong during the downturn.
Virgin is currently consulting with staff about the possibility of up to 600 redundancies across the business.
“We are keeping our staff fully informed and will be working closely with staff and union representatives in order to find ways to protect as many jobs as possible and avoid compulsory redundancies,” the carrier confirmed.
Chief executive Steve Ridgway said: "No airline is immune from the recession and we continue to reshape our business to ensure we’re in the best position for the longer term.
“With falling demand for travel, airlines have to reduce their costs through a variety of measures including cutting capacity, freezing pay, unpaid leave and, regrettably, adjusting staff numbers. We need to stay healthy so we’re ready to grow again when economic conditions allow."
The job losses came as Ryanair announced that 200 jobs would go as it reduces capacity from Dublin (see separate TravelMole story).
British Airways has already culled hundreds of managers and has forecast a £150 million operating loss for this financial year.
by Phil Davies
