Two days ago on July 3rd 2020, the news was released that Air France and Hop! airlines are taking into consideration reducing their operational staff to the quantity of 7,580 workers-at least until 2022. This is considered as a possible measure to resist and cope with the low demand in air transport produced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of the recent worldwide low demand in the air traveling because of the health crisis, many various airlines are taking protectionist measures to continue operating in the future. In the case of these two airlines, both members of the Air France-KLM air group, the plan is to make a reduction of the operating personnel.

Air France has an optimistic approach to the situation, since it estimates that of its 6,560 calculated work losses over a period of 3 years (the equivalent of 16% of its total workforce), 3,500 will be natural exits. This would leave a result of 3,060 layoffs caused by these new measures to take.

On the other hand, it is estimated that Hop! Airlines have a more difficult situation, since the company could lay off up to 1,020 workers which is almost half of the 2,420 it has in total. If this results to be the case, the natural losses could be only 200, giving a result of 820 layoffs.

Previously declared by the company, during the last 3 months its income has fallen 95% losing 15 million euros per day. Meanwhile, Air France expects to recover the activity levels of the year 2019 until 2024.