Russia’s largest airport, Sheremetyevo International, has furloughed a portion of its staff due to a decline in demand, an airport spokeswoman said.
Anna Zakharenkova confirmed in a statement that 20% of the airport’s employees were furloughed starting March 16. Activity at the airport has declined by approximately 70%, she said in the statement.
The airport, located near Moscow, is no longer hiring and has eliminated all open positions, the statement said.
The affected staff will be paid two-thirds of their salaries and will retain their positions, the statement said. Sheremetyevo airport is assisting with connecting personnel to other potential employers “if it becomes needed,” according to the statement.
Air traffic at Sheremetyevo has declined sharply since late February after several countries banned Russian airlines from operating in their airspace. Russia responded, banning its airspace to 38 countries.
Izvestia, a Russian newspaper, first reported that 40% of the airport’s 18,000 employees had been furloughed, citing internal documents. Ms. Zakharenkova said fewer workers had been furloughed.