Ebookers.com to cut Irish jobs
Online travel company ebookers.com today said it was looking to cut between 70 to 140 full-time jobs after the terror attack on the US hit sales.
The company, which offers discounted air fares and hotel rooms, said the attack had caused a "substantial drop" in business in its busiest month of the year.
Up to half the cuts are likely to come in Ireland and the UK, where ebookers employs almost 50% of its 700 permanent staff.
A spokesman said consultation had already begun with those employees likely to be affected by the reductions.
He added that ebookers still expected to report a lower loss for the third quarter of the year than the second quarter despite the disruption.
"September 10 was our busiest day ever," he said.
The company, which bought out its parent Flightbookers last year, listed on the London Stock Exchange in March.
In July, it reported half-year losses of £17.2m (stg) but said it expected to generate a positive cash-flow later this year or early in 2002.
Chief executive Dinesh Dhamija said today the company was taking "decisive measures" to cope with the lower demand.
He added the steps would also give ebookers "the flexibility to take advantage of both the complete return of demand and other market opportunities that this environment presents".
Ebookers has subsidiaries across Europe, where it has bought a number of travel agents to boost its expansion.
