Etihad Airways’ staff have taken salary cuts up to 50 percent as the coronavirus pandemic continues, local media reports said. This move will help Etihad Airways to cope with the impact of the Coronavirus as the aviation industry has now taken a big hit.
Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based UAE airline, previously had announced plans to suspend all flights to and from the capital for two weeks.
Earlier, the airline’s CEO Tony Douglas had said on Twitter that it will survive the impact of the pandemic. “We want to reassure … (that) afterwards when we all want to get back to our normal lives, we want to travel, Etihad will still be there to make sure it’s the best possible way that you can enjoy that experience,” he said in the video posted on Etihad Airways’ Twitter channel.
However, now it seems that Etihad Airways is forced to temporarily cut the basic salaries of all staff and executives to between 25 percent and 50 percent to sustain business and cope with the pandemic.
That said, its staff and employees will continue to receive housing allowances and education assistance during the period and in the future, local media reports said.
Douglas pointed out that the situation is currently difficult. In fact, airlines worldwide are estimated to lose $252 billion in revenue this year because of the pandemic, according to the International Air Transport Association.
It is reported that this is the first time in the history of Etihad Airways that the airlines has suspended all passenger operations. Also, it will face a negative impact on business operations.