600 Bmi jobs under threat

UK carrier Bmi has announced a cost-cutting plan which will result in a reduction of planes and routes cut out of Heathrow and the possible loss of at least 600 jobs.

The airline, formerly known as British Midland Airways, said the job cuts would come from all areas of the business.

The Castle Donington based airline said that number of full-time equivalent jobs at risk of redundancy is predicted to be about 600, but further job cuts cannot be ruled out.

The airline also announced that it would be suspending loss-making routes, and reducing the number of aircraft in its international operations from 39 to 30.

Routes to suffer the axe include Heathrow to Brussels, Tel Aviv, Kiev and Aleppo, which will be suspended in January, and the service from Heathrow to Amsterdam being suspended at the end of the current winter schedule in March.

Seasonal services from Heathrow to Palma and Venice would not continue in summer 2010.

The announcement from Bmi, which was taken over by Lufthansa earlier this year, comes after the low-cost offshoot bmibaby announced it was cutting 158 jobs.

Bmi has said that restructuring its international and regional operations against a background where the airline industry is facing the challenges of a downturn in demand and the worst recession in the UK since records began.

The airline’s management has said that consultations with unions and staff representatives has already commenced with a view of minimising the number of compulsory job losses wherever possible.

The airline employs a total of 4,470 staff.