Struggling Malaysia Airlines on Monday sent termination letters to its 20,000 employees as it changed into a new company in a bid to turn around the beleaguered national carrier.
The Chief Executive, Christoph Mueller, said while most of the employees would be rehired, 6,000 of them would not be taken back on, as the company struggled to cut costs.
“I have received a termination letter and an invitation to rejoin the new company,” a ground engineer told dpa by telephone. “I am studying my options.”
Mueller said that the 14,000 employees who were asked to rejoin would be given 12 days to decide.
“I am sad that we will have to let go of 6,000 people,’’ Mueller said.
Malaysia Airlines suffered two deadly tragedies in 2014, which hit the already loss-making airline hard.
On March 8, Beijing-bound flight MH370 disappeared one hour after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur, and was presumed to have crashed into the sea.
On July 17, flight MH17 from Amsterdam was shot down and crashed over eastern Ukraine.
