Italian carrier Meridiana is preparing to make 396 job cuts and an 20% cut in pilot pay as part of a deal with Qatar Airways, which is purchasing up to 49% of the airline, to cut labour costs.
The deal is also expected to lead to an equity infusion to revitalize the ageing fleet.
Meridiana will feed its domestic passengers into the Gulf airline’s international network, with Qatar Airways preparing to launch a new route from Doha to Milan and onto Chicago.