Hundreds of jobs set to go at airports

Manchester airport workers showed their support for the NHS earlier this year
Manchester airport workers showed their support for the NHS earlier this year

Manchester Airports Group has warned that it could cut more than 800 jobs after the pandemic kept travellers at home and brought operations to a near-standstill.

The privately held company, which owns London Stansted and East Midlands airports as well as Manchester, said that its present monthly demand was 75 per cent below normal levels, adding that any hopes of recovery had been hit by the coronavirus resurgence.

Jobs are at risk at all three airports after the “toughest summer ever”. The company, whose workers showed their support for the NHS earlier this year, above, said that it would begin talks with unions about the potential job losses.

The Unite union blamed the government’s “failure to support to the aviation sector” for the “bitter blow”.