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The French aircraft manufacturer reduces its production by 40 percent and cuts thousands of jobs.
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“We cannot disconnect from developments at the airlines,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury explains the intervention in the German newspaper Die Welt.
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Airbus previously spoke of a 30 percent production cut, but it’s going to be 40 percent – this year and next. Of the best-selling aircraft series A320, the workhorse of the group, only 40 aircraft will be built per month.
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According to CEO Faury, many finished aircraft are waiting for a buyer. The airlines do not expand their fleet due to the corona crisis. According to the CEO, it will take until the end of 2021 before production and deliveries return to normal levels.
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The production cut is logically detrimental to the workforce. The CEO Faury does not want to announce the exact job losses until the end of July, after consultation with the unions. It is speculated that in the civil aviation division, up to 15,000 of the 90,000 jobs are at risk – one in six jobs.
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“It is a necessary adjustment to the hugely reduced production,” says Faury. “It’s about securing our future.”
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Belgian impact
Airbus’s decision may have a fallout in our country that is home to many aviation manufacturer suppliers, including Sabca, Sonaca, Asco and Solvay. The Belgian aviation industry has 50 companies that employ 6,000 people. Airbus is the most important customer for Sonaca in Gosselies.
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