The airline statement said that after considering a "recruitment freeze, natural attrition, and voluntary departure schemes, the potential number of staff affected will be reduced to about 2,400 in Singapore and in overseas stations."
"The company said it expects to operate under 50% of its capacity at the end of the financial year 2020/21 compared to pre-Covid levels," the statement added.
The airline said it is more vulnerable than other major airlines in the world, as it does not have a domestic market. It said to remain viable in an uncertain landscape it will operate a smaller fleet and reduced network in the coming years.
“The next few weeks will be some of the toughest in the history of the SIA Group as some of our friends and colleagues leave the company,” Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said in a statement.
“This is not a reflection of the strengths and capabilities of those who will be affected, but the result of an unprecedented global crisis that has engulfed the airline industry.”