British Airways to Cut 1,800 Jobs

British Airways, Europe’s largest airline, said it will cut 1,800 jobs, or 3% of its work force, by the end of its fiscal year.

The cuts will come through voluntary departures and attrition and will be made across the board, a spokesman said.

British Airways reported a 49% drop in quarterly profit last month as foot-and-mouth disease in Britain and a slowing U.S. economy hurt demand. The airline also is reducing capacity as it concentrates on higher-paying business travelers.

The Transport and General Workers Union, the largest union at the airline, said it had been consulted on British Airways’ plans and that any redundancies would involve additional talks.

The union representing British Airways pilots said it didn’t expect the job losses to include flight crew.