Low-cost carrier Easyjet has confirmed it is closing its bases at Newcastle (NCL/EGNT), London Stansted (STN/EGSS) and London Southend (SEN/EGMC) in September.
We reported on the airlines plans back in June but the airline has now confirmed when the closures will happen with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Although there will be no aircraft or staff based at the three airports after September, flights from other bases that operate to the airports are expected to continue.
Easyjet CEO Johan Lundgren described the decision to close the bases as “difficult”.
London Stansted will be the first bases to close on the 1st September and the airline says that it will be contacting passengers due to fly after that date to offer them an alternative flight from another airport.
Staff at the bases have been in consultation with Easyjet since June and the majority of them have opted for voluntary redundancy minimising the need for compulsory job cuts.
Mr Lundgren added: “Working closely with our employee representatives, I am pleased that we have been able to identify ways to significantly reduce the number of proposed compulsory redundancies through providing enhanced voluntary redundancy packages for all UK crew alongside additional options like part-time and seasonal contracts, base transfers and unpaid leave which we expect to result in reducing the number of job losses overall.”
A recent protest by Easyjet’s Stansted staff called on the UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to provide more support to the UK Aviation Industry.
Stansted is one of Easyjet’s oldest bases and some of the crew have been with the airline for over 20 years.