Virgin’s boss predicts the coronavirus pandemic will halt international travel for the airline until at least 2023 after 3000 jobs were cut.
Hannah Moore – NCA NewsWire August 6, 2020 9:41am
Virgin chief executive officer Paul Scurrah says there may be no return to overseas flights for the airline for up to three years after the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the travel industry.
The airline announced on Wednesday the Tigerair discount airline would be axed and 3000 jobs would be lost across the company as part of its relaunch under administrators Bain Capital.
Long-haul flights have also been put on hold for the foreseeable future.
Mr Scurrah told 2GB making the cuts had been a “heartbreaking” addition to an already “sad year” for the airline and aviation industry, but there had been no other way forward for the business.
“We do aspire to fly long haul again, we just can’t see it coming back in the next few years,” he said.