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[Travel] Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit Gatwick
- Thread starter Stat Brother
- Start date
nicko31
Well-known member
Big blow for Crawley a town that has always done well even during the deepest of recessions...
This is on top of the 12,000 BA jobs that are going, many from Gatwick as BA, like Virgin, are considering pulling out of Gatwick altogether.
I heard Crawley is going to be one of the worst affected towns in the country by this virus. Sad times.
I heard Crawley is going to be one of the worst affected towns in the country by this virus. Sad times.
Marshy
Well-known member
Yep grim, My best mate works for Virgin and his wife BA... keeping my fingers crossed they are in the fortunate group to keep jobs even if it means going to Heathrow..
It had been covered on the general aviation/Covid-19 thread - https://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?379678-Aviation-industry-and-Covid-19 - but appreciate it merits its own discussion from a local interest perspective.
It sounded like Norwegian won't be operating long-haul for some time too, so Gatwick is going to take a big hit for those North America and Caribbean leisure routes.
It sounded like Norwegian won't be operating long-haul for some time too, so Gatwick is going to take a big hit for those North America and Caribbean leisure routes.
Marshy
Well-known member
Bet they close the south terminal entirely.
The Andy Naylor Fan Club
Well-known member
I know the Court of Appeal ruled the government's decision for a 3rd runway at Heathrow illegal back in February, but with what is going on at the moment surely a 3rd runway is not even warranted now?
Gatwick will need to be re-named 'Easyjet Airport' at this rate.
Yep and will affect the wider local area as well. One of the dads in my daughter's class at school in Portslade work(ed) for Virgin. On 8 weeks unpaid at the moment but this is surely his cards and money.
I think we'll all be flying a lot less when this is all over anyway. I have a semi-regular work trip to Edinburgh that I did with BA. If they pull out as seems likely it'll be a choice between Easyjet (probably hard to book, EDI was a very busy commuter route), expensive train that takes the best part of a day or video conference. I think unless face to face is 100% necessary all my old trips will go to VC.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
That really does depend on BA's decision - at the moment it's only a 'possibility' that they won't return to Gatwick - my personal opinion is that they won't and will move everything to Heathrow.
No second runway at Gatwick for a long, long time.
jakarta
Well-known member
That would be the Terminal with a Railway Station as opposed to the North which hasn't?
That's irrelevant though - Easyjet pretty much use all of the North Terminal and it's mostly in their branding. If they are the only big player left they're not going to move terminal to be half a mile nearer the station.
Gatwick's woes must also be the final nail in the coffin for Jamie's Italian. The Gatwick branch was one of the only ones left open. Although it was awful anyway. Overpriced, weird tasting and cold and that was just the breakfasts.
ATFC Seagull
Aberystwyth Town FC
Has a little bar next to it with TV screens that is better than the massive Spoons, though.
Never liked the way Virgin operated. Right at the beginning when they operated their one B747-100, the oldest 747 flying, they had an aloofness about them. Where as other British scheduled operators were required to operate a certain amount of domestic service routes (to the islands etc), in turn they would be granted a "gold" route. Virgin jumped in, got New York and that was it. The influence Branson's image had at the time got him his desires (in more ways than one). Branson was and I'm sure still is an odious man. I met him regularly back in the day. He spent many press conferences questioning Lord King's integrity, even attempting to rubbish his rise to Chairman of BA, and saying it was down to the old boy network. In fact he come from a working class background, his dad a postman his mum a seamstress. Whereas Branson was born into extreme wealth.
As with most of Virgins businesses when the going gets tough they disappear. One thing you can sure of he will still have his money and as soon as allowed be having his "parties".
I feel sorry for those that have lost their jobs.
As with most of Virgins businesses when the going gets tough they disappear. One thing you can sure of he will still have his money and as soon as allowed be having his "parties".
I feel sorry for those that have lost their jobs.
To be fair, if there could be a silver lining to this shit, it would be that companies finally, at last, take remote working and virtual meetings seriously. Maybe they might just actually invest in remote working solutions and start to work in the twenty first century.
There are loads of benefits :
> Less travel so good for the environment
> Reports show employees are more productive with flexible working
> Reports show employees tend to have a better home / work life balance with flexible working
> Reduced costs to employers for real estate and services. IBM and Capita have made the active policy of closing as many offices as possible. In fact IBM only own one site in the UK now.
It's always infuriated me companies not allowing work from home or sending employees on trips for meetings that could easily be conducted over VC.
BA might have to be re-nationalised (post Brexit) and then the government could make them operate out of LGW and LHR. European law currently doesn't allow it.
Kuipers Supporters Club
Well-known member
Correct. Crawley is the worst hit town in the country.