Jobs threat at Luton Airport

14.9.2009   (UK Airport News)

UK Airport staff face a fresh wave of redundancies over the next month as more
flights are axed for the winter season. With overseas travel down by 14% on 2008,
Servisair, one of the world’s biggest ground handling firms, has announced that
it is axing its Luton Airport operation because there is not enough work for staff.
Ground handling firms – those offering check-in and baggage handling services
– are expected to be the worst hit as fewer Britons fly this winter.

Servisair said the decision to sell its Luton Airport operation to rivals Aviance
comes because three firms were competing for a shrinking market at the hub.   A
member of the 140-strong Luton workforce told a newspaper: ‘We’ve been told to
expect redundancies in a couple of weeks.’

The latest move follows the loss of hundreds of Servisair job losses at Gatwick,
Manchester and Liverpool in the past year.   Last month Servisair handlers at Liverpool
Airport walked out for 12 days over 27 compulsory redundancies. Airlines have
also been hit by the drop in demand for foreign holidays, weekend breaks and business
trips.

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/luton-airport-news-140909.html