Airbus COO expects minimum of 15,000 job cuts, Handelsblatt says

Hamburg: Airbus SE is under pressure to carry out its job-cutting plan as the prospects for the aviation industry deteriorate, Chief Operating Officer Michael Schoellhorn said in an interview with Handelsblatt.

The planemaker's plan to eliminate 15,000 positions is "the minimum of what we have to do," Schoellhorn said, adding that the company currently has no plans to expand the program.

The European rival to Boeing Co. is grappling with an unprecedented collapse in air travel because of coronavirus restrictions. It has been trying to entice workers to leave voluntarily to limit tougher measures.

The company is in talks with unions on the restructuring, and Schoellhorn said it is still too early to rule out forced layoffs.

Despite pressure on the industry, Airbus's order book is largely intact with limited cancellations, Schoellhorn said, adding that there are no plans to close plants in Germany.