Aircraft maker Airbus temporarily sends 3,000 employees home from its French factories. Due to the corona crisis, there will certainly be no work for the employees until mid-May, also because, according to the company, there is no possibility to give employees on the work floor enough space to work according to the guidelines of social distancing.

Airbus reached an agreement with the unions regarding the temporary layoff. These are employees of three factories in France: Toulouse, Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. According to Airbus, the measures could take longer, depending on how the work processes are set up. The company previously decided to cut production by a third.

Personnel from Airbus’ British factories, which manufacture wings, for example, return to work after a long Easter break. In Broughton and Filton, work will restart on Monday after a 3.5-week break.

European aircraft maker CEO Guillaume Faury previously said the company is facing tough decisions regarding permanent job losses. Initially, Airbus will call for support measures in countries such as Germany and Great Britain, but it did not rule out interventions. According to Airbus, this also depends on how the situation develops.