Qantas to lay off pilots in bid to stem losses

[SYDNEY] Struggling Australian airline Qantas yesterday said it will make dozens of pilots redundant for the first time in 40 years as it looks to slash costs to contain massive losses.

The national carrier, which announced it would cut 5,000 jobs from its workforce in February, will call for voluntary redundancies among its Boeing 747 and 767 pilots.

A spokesman said the airline was not placing an exact number on the redundancies until the application process was complete but reports said up to 100 positions, or just under 20 per cent of the 550 pilots for both fleets, were being targeted. Qantas has around 2,000 pilots.