Coronavirus: Fiji Airways Halves Staff Strength

Fiji Airways has more than halved its workforce on Monday, as the airline, like many others in the industry, continues to receive some negative hits from the pandemic.

The Chief executive of the carrier, Andre Viljoen, said that the airline had to let go of about 51 percent of its staff strength, firing 758 people, after it had exhausted "all other options”.

He added that the remaining staff will get a pay cut of 20 percent.

In a statement, the company's execs said, “The sad reality of prolonged flight suspensions means that we simply do not have work for a large segment of our workforce now.

“The airline will receive virtually zero revenue in the coming months.”

Tourism is a major feature in the economy of the country, with tourists trooping in from New Zealand and Australia, but with the outbreak, the tourism sector has suffered a huge setback, after the closure of major airports in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The concept of a "travel bubble" is in the talks, as this will allow South Pacific countries who have the pandemic under control to resume their tourist trade.