ebookers to cut jobs

Pan-European online travel agency, ebookers.com, could axe up to 120 jobs as a result of the slow-down in the travel industry following the terror attacks in the US on September 11.

Staff were told on Friday that the company was looking to make cuts at its operations.

At this stage it's too early to say exactly where the axe will fall.

However, according to insiders the cuts could hit all departments. An announcement about exactly how many employees face the chop is expected within the next two weeks or so.

Around 600 people work for the London-based outfit. Although ebookers.com has yet to decide how many jobs will go, between 10 and 20 per cent of the workforce are believed to be at risk.

Navneet Bali, CFO at ebookers.com, told The Register that the decision to cut jobs was taken in response to the slump that has hit the travel industry in the wake of the attacks in the US.

Said Bali: "We are not immune to what is happening in the world. This is totally a consequence of what happened on September 11."

A fortnight ago ebookers reported that it had seen 650 cancellations - most to the US - in the wake of events in the US. ®