Cebu Pacific to lay off over 150 cabin crew on March 19

Cebu Pacific is laying off over 150 newly-hired cabin crew members on March 19 due to operational cutbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The budget airline announced the layoffs as it grounds all domestic flights by March 20, leading to reduced flight schedules and limited opportunities for new cabin crew.

A company source estimates that more than 190 cabin crew could be affected by the job cuts, out of Cebu Pacific's approximately 4,000 employees.

The airline confirmed that the affected cabin crew are those who have yet to be regularized.

Cebu Pacific assured that the affected cabin crew will receive packages exceeding legal requirements and will be prioritized for re-hiring if business conditions improve.

To cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus on the aviation industry, Cebu Pacific executives have also voluntarily taken pay cuts, alongside other cost-saving measures like a hiring freeze and delayed projects.