Almost 200 Malaysia Airlines crew quit, MAS to cut 5,000 jobs
Almost 200 Malaysia Airline System Bhd (MAS) crew members have resigned after the double airline tragedies involving MH17 and MH370.
Malaysia Airline System Employees Union secretary-general Abdul Malek Ariff said they were down to only about 3,000 cabin crew staff now.
“Some are afraid to fly. There is nothing we can do about this. They have developed some kind of fear and we hope that over time, they will be back to normal,” he said.
In a statement to The Edge, MAS said that the total number of resignations from January to July this year was 186 and not 500 as some have alleged.
“Following the MH17 incident, there was a spike in crew resignations, but the number has now decreased to routinely expected levels.
"Many cited family pressure as the reason for their resignation due to the MH17 and MH370 tragedies. At present, the resignation rate at MAS is less than 5 per cent which is way below the industry norm,” it said.
A quarter of MAS staff to lose jobs in restructuring
In other news, about a quarter of MAS's 20,000 staff are likely to lose their jobs under a restructuring plan for the loss-making airline , a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The restructuring plan, due to be unveiled later this week, will include route cuts as well as the loss of up to 5,000-6,000 jobs, according to the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
While 5,000-6,000 job losses would signal a drastic downsizing of the firm, analysts have said many staff could be offered jobs at other government-run firms to soften the blow to them and their families.
Sources: Reuters
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