Jetstar Asia cuts its fleet to aid recovery

Jetstar Asia has announced cuts to its fleet amid its post-COVID-19 recovery plan. The Singapore LCC has revealed that it will retire five Airbus A320s and axe 180 staff as part of its strategy. This will reduce the airline’s fleet to just 13 aircraft. The LCC also stated that the majority of its workforce will remain furloughed until the end of the year.

The new strategy came after consultations with its two stakeholders; Qantas Group and Westbrook Investments.

Jetstar suspended its services on 23 March and the pandemic forced international travel to be restricted. The airline’s Chief Executive Bara Pasupati said in a statement to Channel News Asia that the pandemic had forced the airline to make some tough decisions. He added that the decisions made aim to ensure that the operator can carry on continuing to provide low-cost travel to the region.