Virgin Blue cuts affect 400 jobs

Virgin Blue says 400 jobs will be affected when it axes as many as five aircraft
from its local fleet later this year.
Australia's second biggest airline said that in response to continued forecast
deterioration in domestic demand, it would remove a further eight per cent of
capacity, or as many as five aircraft from its domestic fleet in the 2009/10
financial year.
The company did not say whether the jobs would be lost, saying only "the capacity
reduction impacts up to 400 full-time equivalent positions in Virgin Blue".
The company said it is exploring a range of initiatives to minimise the headcount
reduction including transferring staff from Virgin Blue to the new international
long-haul airline V Australia, part-time work, job sharing, and leave without pay,
among other contingencies under consideration.