Thousands more jobs to be cut at Air France


The restructuring will affect the group’s French operations, which employ more than 69,000 people.

Alongside the planned job cuts are proposals to phase out its costly fleet of Boeing 747s by 2016 and a review of its provincial bases in southern and western France, the Financial Times reported.

The fresh cost-cutting measures due to be announced today come as low growth in Europe and high fuel prices have left the airline with more to do on top of its Transform 2015 savings scheme which was outlined in 2011 with a plan to cut 5,100 jobs.

Frédéric Gagey, chief executive of the French unit, will detail the case for voluntary redundancies and route closures in the short-haul, medium-haul and cargo businesses.

Air France announced plans in June to cut 2,600 jobs through voluntary departures, joining western European rivals that are also slashing thousands of positions as competition from low-cost carriers intensifies.