Emirates has asked part of its pilot corps to take a year of unpaid leave. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, there is a lot less flying than usual. As a result, the majority of Emirates’ Airbus A380 fleet is currently stored.
By asking the pilots to stay at home without a salary, Emirates wants to reduce costs, according to Reuters news agency. Like other airlines, Emirates is also suffering from the economic consequences of the crisis.
Pilots who accept the offer retain their entitlement to reimbursements such as housing and medical costs. They may also return earlier if the market picks up faster than expected.
The state owned airline is expected to keep a lot of its aircraft grounded for a longer period of time. Because Emirates solely operates large wide-body aircraft it requires more passengers to offset the operational cost.