They will also get a bonus for the 2025 financial year as a gesture of appreciation, along with continued access to staff travel benefits for a period matching their tenure, CNA reported on Wednesday after Jetstar Asia’s parent company, Qantas, announced that the budget airline will shutter on July 31.
“We are committed to supporting team members who are impacted by this announcement the best way we can,” said a Jetstar Asia spokesperson.
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Budget airline Jetstar’s aircraft sit on the tarmac at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Feb. 6, 2014. Photo by Reuters |
Additionally, employees losing their jobs in Singapore will be offered job-matching support within the Qantas group or with other carriers, according to Reuters.
The National Trades Union Congress, Singapore’s largest trade union, said it had known of the closure ahead of the official announcement and is coordinating efforts with national flag carrier Singapore Airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and Changi Airport to find new opportunities for those affected.
In a Facebook post, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said the union is partnering with the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union to provide job placement and career advisory support, particularly within the aviation and aerospace sectors.
“We are exploring opportunities for Singapore Airlines Group, a unionised company, to match affected Jetstar Asia employees, including crew and corporate staff, to suitable roles where possible,” he said in the post.
One Jetstar Asia pilot told The Straits Times that employees were informed of the closure only on the morning of the official announcement, which he acknowledged was likely due to legal obligations as Qantas is listed in Australia.
While the shutdown was disappointing, the company “took care of us quite well,” he remarked.
“We have a lot of good, very experienced people, (with) more than 10,000 hours of experience as pilots. If local airlines don’t want to take us, there are always other airlines,” he said.
