Air Arabia lays off 57 employees due to COVID-19 crisis

Air Arabia says it’s laid off 57 employees due to travel disruptions caused by COVID-19.

The Sharjah-based carrier, which has about 2,000 employees, has like other UAE airlines suspended scheduled operations since March. 

A spokeperson for the company said: “It is unfortunate that we had to take the decision to lay off a small number of our staff members this week.  This is the first time in our history that we were forced to do so taking into consideration the current market realities.”

“Since the start of COVID-19 outbreak, we have taken a series of measures to protect the jobs of our employees while sustaining the business. We will continue to do everything possible to safeguard our employees by keeping layoffs to the minimum and only as a last resort. The COVID-19 has had an impact on the aviation industry, which is forcing airlines all around the world to seek aid and escalate internal measures to ensure their business continuity.”