EasyJet has grounded its entire fleet of aircraft due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airline has announced.

The Luton-based carrier said parking all 344 of its planes "removes significant cost" as the aviation industry struggles to cope with a collapse in demand caused by the outbreak of the virus.

The move comes as Scottish regional airline Loganair said it expects to ask the Government for a bailout to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

EasyJet insisted it "maintains a strong balance sheet" and revealed it is in "ongoing discussions with liquidity providers".
The airline also announced that it has reached an agreement with the Unite union on furlough arrangements for its cabin crew.

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The deal will be effective from Wednesday for a two-month period and means cabin crew will be paid 80% of their average pay through the Government job retention scheme.

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said: "I am extremely proud of the way in which people across easyJet have given their absolute best at such a challenging time, including so many crew who have volunteered to operate rescue flights to bring our customers home.

"We are working tirelessly to ensure that easyJet continues to be well positioned to overcome the challenges of coronavirus."
The airline added it operated more than 650 rescue flights to repatriate people stranded due to the virus.

The last of the flights took place on Sunday.

EasyJet pledged to work with governments to "operate additional rescue flights as requested".

The chief executive of Loganair has said the airline will seek the UK Government's help after the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the aviation industry.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Jonathan Hinkles said: "I think what was made clear by the Chancellor in the letter last week was to say we're not going to do something which is an industry-wide bailout programme, airlines have got to try and recourse to their shareholders, to their lenders first.

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"We respect that, that's a fair position for them to take. But if you can't bridge the gap after that, only then can you come and talk to us. That was very much the message.

"But I do think like the vast majority of UK airlines we will be going back to take up that invite for further conversation with Treasury in the coming days because we have to."

While Scottish airline Loganair has "been doing a lot of work both with our shareholders and all of our suppliers to try and minimise cost", Mr Hinkles warned it was "about actually getting rid of payments" than deferring costs.

Mr Hinkles said the Covid-19 pandemic has "had an enormous effect on all UK airlines".

He said: "The Government has made it clear that it is open to requests for support from individual airlines and, whilst Loganair has not yet taken up this invite, we fully expect to join other UK airlines in doing so in the coming days."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the aviation industry last week that he will not create a specific support package for it, but the Government is prepared to enter into negotiations with individual firms once they had "exhausted other options" such as raising cash from existing investors.

Virgin Atlantic had previously urged the Government to offer carriers emergency credit facilities worth up to £7.5 billion.

Ted Baker's finance chief will step up to become its third chief executive in just over a year.

Rachel Osborne, a former finance director of Debenhams and Domino's Pizza, had already been doing the top job since December when former chief Lindsay Page resigned after the firm warned on profits, after founder Ray Kelvin earlier stepped aside.

She had joined the company as chief financial officer a month before that.

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Since arriving at Ted Baker, Ms Osborne has announced the company would sell and lease back its headquarters. Ted Baker is still searching for a new chairman.

Acting chairwoman Sharon Baylay said: "Rachel has already made a significant contribution to Ted Baker, working tirelessly in recent months to develop a transformation plan for the business.

"She has brought hugely relevant retail and customer experience and is ideally positioned to lead Ted Baker's turnaround in the future."