Heathrow cuts front-line posts after UK imposes quarantine

Bloomberg

London Heathrow airport said it has begun cutting front-line jobs after a recovery in passenger numbers was delayed by Britain’s introduction this week of a quarantine rule for incoming travellers.
Europe’s busiest airport will initially seek voluntary departures after agreeing a severance plan with unions, it said in a statement. The hub has already eliminated 500 management posts. The quarantine plan has sparked uproar among UK airlines and airports, with carriers led by IAG saying they’ll mount a legal challenge. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye warned previously that the 14 days of self-isolation for arriving passengers would put one-third of the hub’s 7,000 posts at risk if Britain failed to say when the policy might be lifted.
“Throughout this crisis, we have tried to protect front line jobs, but this is no longer sustainable,” he said in the release. “While we cannot rule out further job reductions, we will continue to explore options to minimise the number.”
A Heathrow spokesman said the airport has 5,500 front-line workers but that the number of job losses hasn’t yet been determined while it consults with labour groups. Posts affected will include security officers, baggage-trolley operatives and engineering and maintenance staff. A third of the airport’s 1,500 management positions were cut previously.
Heathrow, the main base for British Airways, directly employs only about 10% of the 76,000 people who work at the hub across 350 companies including airlines, retailers and ground handlers, as well as in roles such as immigration and air-traffic control.
Heathrow’s passenger traffic remained 97% down from year-ago levels in May as the coronavirus lockdown grounded flights across most of the world. The quarantine rule means that “grim picture” is set to continue even as some airlines seek to revive flights, it said.