Airport jobs to go after review

Staff will have to reapply for their jobs following the review

Up to 90 jobs are to be axed at Manchester Airport because of a drop in passenger numbers, bosses have said.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said its existing 305 staff would need to reapply for 215 new posts following a review of its employment structure.

Chief executive Geoff Muirhead blamed the recession for the passenger slump, which has affected airport income.

Managers are to begin negotiations with trade unions in a bid to avoid any compulsory redundancies.

"Every forward-looking successful business continually adapts and changes to maintain its competitive edge and we are no different," said Mr Muirhead.

"As a result of the current recession, the business is already experiencing reductions in passenger throughput, which in turn reduces the income that it receives from our airline, and retail partners."

Profits rise

With the short term outlook for the economy "not positive", Mr Muirhead added that passenger numbers were expected to continue falling.

In July 2008, the group - the UK's second largest airport owner - reported a 16.4% rise in profits from �82.9m to �96.5m.

But although passenger numbers across the group rose by 2%, the number of people travelling through Manchester dropped by 200,000 to two million, it reported last year.

A MAG spokesman said that 25 jobs would also be lost at East Midlands Airport, with 60 people forced to reapply for 35 new posts.

Three jobs will go at Bournemouth Airport, which the group said had "significant potential for future growth".

The group's other airport, Humberside, is unaffected by the review.