Nearly 200 jobs at Swissport, a cargo and baggage handling firm, are under threat following the collapse of Flybe, the Unite union has warned. The union said 120 staff are at risk at Edinburgh Airport, 36 in Aberdeen, and 39 in Glasgow, representing a third of the workforce at these locations.
Swissport has launched a formal consultation process to put the business on a firmer footing, citing the coronavirus outbreak's impact on flight and passenger numbers worldwide, as well as the loss of Flybe business. The union described the redundancy consultation as "premature and totally unacceptable."
Pat McIlvogue, Unite's regional industrial officer, noted that many former Flybe routes are being re-established or taken on by other airlines, such as Loganair and British Airways. He urged Swissport to halt the process and engage in talks to find solutions to keep people in work.
Unite represents the majority of Swissport employees at the three Scottish airports and has also requested a meeting with Scotland's transport minister, Michael Matheson. A Swissport spokeswoman acknowledged the challenging period for aviation and pledged to support colleagues during the consultation process.
