Lion Air has announced that it will furlough between 25 to 35% of its 23,000-strong workforce. This means anywhere between 5,750 to 8,050 jobs hang in the balance of going on leave without pay. While the carrier has managed to avoid such a drastic measure in the last 18 months, the situation has not improved enough.

Lion Air justified its decision by adding that it is currently only operating 140-210 daily flights, far below its usual 1,400 departures. This is due to Indonesia’s crippling wave of infections, causing one of the highest rates in the world. With deaths surging to over 1,700 every day in the last week and cases at over 40,000, the country is struggling to control the situation.Read more