عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Tunisair to Cut 1,200 Jobs in 3 Years

A Tunisair sign is seen at their headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, March 2, 2018. (Reuters)
A Tunisair sign is seen at their headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, March 2, 2018. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Tunisair to Cut 1,200 Jobs in 3 Years

A Tunisair sign is seen at their headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, March 2, 2018. (Reuters)
A Tunisair sign is seen at their headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, March 2, 2018. (Reuters)

The Tunisian government announced that Tunisair will cut 1,200 jobs within three years under a restructuring plan. Those cuts will cost about TND170 million (USD56 million).

The government decided to provide financial support to help the carrier repair defective equipment and charter flights during the peak of the tourist season.

Elias Munchabi, director general of Tunisair, said that the program demands a credit of TND1.3 billion (USD433 million).

Since the government is incapable of providing this credit in one batch, the rehabilitation plan will be implemented through phases, he added.

Tunisian Minister of Transport Hichem Ben Ahmed denied that authorities were seeking to privatize the company, affirming that the national carrier belongs to all Tunisians.

He further denied media reports that the carrier was on the verge of bankruptcy and that it was unable to fulfill its commitments.

Tunisair seeks to provide high-quality services for Tunisians and tourists alike, he stressed.

Tunisair had previously revealed a program to purchase six new airplanes to update its aging fleet.

Until the new jets are delivered, it is expected to rent five additional ones to meet the needs of the tourist season. At least 9 million tourists are expected to visit Tunisia.

Most Viewed

 
Business

Report: Syrian Officials Plan to Attend IMF, World Bank Meetings in Washington

A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Report: Syrian Officials Plan to Attend IMF, World Bank Meetings in Washington

A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Syria's finance minister, foreign minister and central bank chief are planning to attend the annual spring meetings held by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, DC this month, four sources familiar with the plans said.

It would be the first visit to the meetings by a high-level Syrian government delegation in at least two decades, and the first high-level visit by Syria's new authorities to the US since former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.

Two of the sources told Reuters it was unclear whether Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh and Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh had yet received visas to the United States.

Spokespeople for the IMF, World Bank, Syrian foreign ministry and Syrian presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The other two sources said a high-level meeting focused on reconstruction efforts for Syria could be held on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank meetings.

Syria has been ravaged by nearly 14 years of a war that was sparked by a deadly crackdown on protests against Assad, with much of the country's infrastructure left in ruins.

The government that took over after Assad was ousted has sought to rebuild Syria's ties in the region and further afield, and to win support for reconstruction efforts.

But tough US sanctions imposed during Assad's rule remain in place. In January, the US issued a six-month exemption for some sanctions to encourage humanitarian aid, but this has had limited effect. Reuters reported in February that efforts to bring in foreign financing to pay public sector salaries had been hampered by uncertainty over whether this could breach US sanctions.

Last month the US gave Syria a list of conditions to fulfill in exchange for partial sanctions relief but the administration of US President Donald Trump has otherwise engaged little with the country's new rulers.

That is in part due to differing views in Washington on how to approach Syria. Some White House officials have been keen to take a more hardline stance, pointing to the new Syrian leadership's former ties to Al-Qaeda as reason to keep engagement to a minimum, according to diplomats and US sources.