Emirates offers unpaid leave of 12 months to some pilots

Dubai-based carrier Emirates has offered unpaid leave of 12 months to some of its pilots as the pandemic continues to bite airlines across the globe.

The airline is working on various initiatives such as unpaid leave and flexible work-time models to retain its talent pool.

"We can confirm that we've offered some of our pilots unpaid leave for 12 months, with the possibility of an early recall back to duty depending on how quickly demand rebounds, and our operational requirements. During unpaid leave, the company will continue to provide accommodation, medical cover and other allowances," the airline's spokesperson said in a statement.

In June, Emirates had begun laying off employees to reduce cost and save cash as the carrier looked to rightsize its workforce following the ground of aircraft due to the pandemic. The airline had employed around 60,000 people at the end of its 2019-20 financial year.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) forecast that total industry revenues in 2021 will drop 46 per cent compared to the 2019 figure of $838 billion. It expects full year 2020 traffic to be down 66 per cent compared to 2019, with December demand down 68 per cent.

Emirates said on Wednesday that it continues to do all it can to protect its talent pool for post-pandemic business recovery. "But we also need to consider the impact of the current situation on our operations and cost base. Across the group, we are implementing various offers including unpaid leave and more flexible working time models," said the statement.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai