EasyJet cancels East Anglia

If you live in Norfolk and Suffolk and want to fly easyJet this summer you have a problem.  The airline plans to close bases at Stansted, Southend and Newcastle airports.

The Luton-based airline has abandoned the three operations, with the routes that remain part of what is called a “W” operation, typically out of Luton to a continental airport, then into Southend, and flying the reverse path.  With carefully chosen destinations this should be operationally easy and within the flight-deck and cabin crew flight time limitations.

No details yet of which routes will be retained.

It follows an announcement by the airline that it may need to reduce staff numbers by up to a third because of the coronavirus pandemic.  The Unite union said nearly 1,300 crew members faced losing their jobs.  Pilots' union BALPA said it had been told by easyJet that 727 of its UK-based pilots were at risk of redundancy.

EasyJet Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said: "The lower demand environment means we need fewer aircraft and have less opportunity for work for our people.

"We are committed to working constructively with our employee representatives across the network with the aim of minimising job losses as far as possible."

Also see Norwich Airport reopens in this week's BTN.

www.easyjet.com

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