Sixty redundancies at Brussels Airlines

Sixty layoffs are planned in Belgium at Brussels Airlines as part of the Reboot+ restructuring plan, the airline announced on Thursday.

Brussels Airlines needed to take substantial measures in order to create a long-term future for the company. The carrier had to structurally reduce its costs to a competitive level. After the cancellation of unprofitable destination, a reduction of the fleet, and as a consequence, the shrinking of employment, the Management and the unions came to an agreement that allows tackling the company’s immediate and future needs.

Both management and trade unions have examined all options to avoid as many redundancies as possible. Therefore, the number of redundancies was limited to 60.

It was announced on 26 June that there would be no redundancies for cabin and cockpit crew thanks to part-time work and seasonal contracts. In addition, 280 workers have opted for a voluntary departure, 40 people took early retirement, 110 took their regular pension, 26 left under the unemployment scheme with company supplement and 99 people have chosen to work part-time. All this enabled to limit the number of furloughs.

Bert Van Rompaey, Head of HR Division, said on Thursday that he is extremely grateful “for the incredible solidarity and strength our people have shown during this difficult time. Thanks to everyone’s dedication and exemplary commitment, we can keep the number of layoffs to a minimum.”