Gulf Air will not be sacking any staff under its recovery plan, a senior official has pledged.

But it will be weeding out those who don't do their jobs, warned public relations manager Hisham Abu Al Fateh.

The airline now has a clear strategy of reducing staff by 25 per cent (around 1,500) through people leaving naturally or voluntary early retirement packages.

It is understood that 900 have already applied for jobs at other regional airlines and 500 have been accepted.

Cabin crew on services facing the axe and even foreign employees in stations abroad will be offered alternative jobs within the airline.

"Our intention is to reduce our workforce by 25 per cent, it was never to make people redundant," said Abu Al Fateh.

"Through the voluntary retirement packages and natural attrition we will be very much capable of reaching the size we want to in the future."

But sub-standard staff will lose their jobs, as in any company, said Abu Al Fateh.

"This is a totally different thing because it is based on performance and every company has the right to evaluate its staff performance," he said.

Abu Al Fateh confirmed that the airline was maintaining a recruitment freeze until further notice.

He said foreign staff overseas would be offered redeployment or voluntary redundancy.

"There is always an option, but for example would people who are in Sydney consider moving to a place about 15 hours away?"

The airline has already axed its Johannesburg service. - TradeArabia News Service