Jetstar Asia to cut a quarter of its workforce as part of recovery plan

Budget airline Jetstar Asia will lay off 26% or about 180 jobs and extend the furlough of the majority of its staff until December as part of its COVID-19 recovery plan.

The airline said the job cuts, affecting a mainly Singapore-based workforce, will come from across all parts of the business. It will also remove five Airbus A320 aircraft from its fleet, reducing it to 13 aircraft.

Jetstar Asia chief executive officer Bara Pasupathi said the “single biggest shock to the aviation industry” caused by the pandemic has forced tough decisions so the airline can “remain agile while staying true to our low-cost DNA”.

“There is no doubt that the travel market will look very different moving forward, so it is imperative that we change and adapt,” he said in a statement.

“Singapore and Changi Airport remain a strategic footprint for Jetstar Asia and the Qantas Group and we look forward to growing passenger numbers further through innovation and enhancing the customer experience in the future.”

The announcement comes after Qantas Group, which includes Jetstar, detailed its three-year plan that will involve measures including cutting the group’s workforce by at least 6,000 people across all job roles, from baggage handlers to corporate non-flying workers.