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| - Finnish national carrier Finnair announced plans on Tuesday to cut 1,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its workforce, amid dire warnings about the economic impact of the coronavirus. "A rapid turn for the better in the pandemic situation is unfortunately not in sight," chief executive Topi Manner said in a statement. "Our revenue has decreased considerably, and that is why we simply must adjust our costs to our new size," Manner said. The 1,000 job cuts will not apply to cabin and flight deck crew, Finnair said, although flying staff will remain on furlough "until further notice". The vast majority of the airline's 6,700 employees are currently on temporary layoffs. Alongside job cuts, the carrier will make other structural changes and on Tuesday updated its savings target from 80 million euros ($94 million) to 100 million euros. Finnair, which is majority owned by the Finnish state, cut 90 percent of its flights on April 1 and issued a profit warning as coronavirus restrictions brought international passenger travel almost to a standstill. The company has been particularly hard hit by the drop-off in long-haul traffic, with flights between Helsinki and Asia a key part of the group's growth strategy this past decade. The carrier released 500 million euros' worth of shares in June to boost liquidity. Finland's government further tightened coronavirus travel restrictions last week to become what it called the strictest in the EU, banning tourists from all but a handful of member states. sgk/po/wai
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