The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has announced that it will cut more than 2,300 jobs. The big fear now begins with the employees - also at the Ottobrunn / Taufkirchen location.
Ottobrunn / Taufkirchen - Even for Florian Hahn (CSU), the massive job cuts at Airbus come as a surprise. "It was not foreseeable for me," he admits. Although companies would never hang out on plans like this in advance anyway, he emphasizes. Hahn's assessment: "This is definitely a signal to be taken seriously."
As far as he knows, the job cuts should be implemented over a period of two years. In the “Defense” area, the member of the Bundestag and security expert knows, around 170 jobs at the Ottobrunn / Taufkirchen location are likely to be cut. There would also be additional positions in the “Space” area. According to the AFP news agency, Airbus does not rule out operational layoffs.
Hahn: Airbus was responsible for the order situation itself
"It is important to me that the downsizing is socially acceptable," emphasizes Hahn. He urges Airbus to do everything possible to keep as many jobs as possible. “That also means that you have to deliver accordingly when it comes to orders.” In his opinion, the poor order situation that the group cites as the reason for the cut is largely due to its own fault. After all, clients' confidence in Airbus has suffered recently, Hahn says, recalling the problems with the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft. "It was delivered far too late, and it was far too expensive." From his point of view, it is understandable that clients, like the Federal Republic, react to new orders with such problems. "That is why trust must now be quickly regained."
Airbus space program probably not affected
Hahn does not believe that the job cuts at Airbus will have a negative impact on the Bavarian government's space program. "It's a government program," he says. In addition, the planned space department at the Ottobrunn / Taufkirchen location is not dependent on Airbus. There are other important partners in the economy in terms of space technology, for example OHB-System AG. At the Ottobrunn / Taufkirchen location itself there are also many successful start-ups with which cooperation is possible.
Ottobrunn's mayor believes in economic dent
"You never respond to news like this with joy," says Ottobrunn Mayor Thomas Loderer (CSU). He now wants to wait and see how many jobs in Ottobrunn actually fall victim to the red pencil of the Airbus leadership. "Often something is not eaten as hot as it is cooked". Loderer believes in nothing more than an economic dent at Airbus . After all, space and satellite technology is a division with a future. Loderer, like Hahn, demands “socially acceptable solutions” for the employees concerned.
For the Airbus employees, it's time to wait
And what do the employees concerned think? "I'm not afraid for my job," says a younger Airbus employee on Thursday morning on the way to the main headquarters. He doesn't want to give his name. He had heard about the job cuts through the media. At the internal announcement on Wednesday, he was not at work. He was also surprised to see so many jobs deleted. For him, like all other colleagues, it is now time to wait, because: "Not much is known yet."
