Some Emirates pilots offered 12-months unpaid leave amid ongoing coronavirus crisis

Some Emirates pilots offered 12-months unpaid leave amid ongoing coronavirus crisis

Dubai-based carrier said 'more flexible working time models' have also been offered

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has confirmed a selection of its pilots have been offered unpaid leave for a period of 12 months.

It is the latest cost-cutting measure from the carrier as the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic continue to cause chaos across the aviation industry.

An Emirates spokesperson told Arabian Business: “We continue to do all we can to protect our talent pool for post-pandemic business recovery, but we also need to consider the impact of the current situation on our operations and cost base. Across the Group, we are implementing various offers including unpaid leave and more flexible working time models.

“We can confirm that we've offered some of our pilots unpaid leave for 12 months, with the possibility of