United Airlines to close cabin crew bases in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Frankfurt as Covid-19 batters air travel
- Some 319 employees will lose their jobs in Hong Kong as the Chicago-headquartered carrier plans to shut down bases from October 1
- Airlines are looking overseas to cut back on employment first, as scores of jobs in the sector are under threat amid poor travel demand
United Airlines will close its cabin crew bases in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Frankfurt, eliminating a total of 840 jobs, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on international air travel.
The Chicago-headquartered carrier told its employees on Friday of the “difficult decision”, with the Hong Kong base hit hardest with 319 jobs lost. The airline has been associated with the city since the 1990s.
With scores of jobs in the aviation sector under threat, airlines are looking overseas to cut back on employment first.
Cathay Pacific closed all of its North American flight attendant bases in five cities over the past 14 months with the loss of 566 employees, more recently announcing the closure of its US bases in April.
“In the current and future environment, we simply are not able to sustain an in-flight base at these locations,” United’s senior vice-president of in-flight services John Slater said.
“We recognise that closing any base places hardship on those who live near those locations.”