WestJet announced it will lay off another 3,000 employees as the COVID-19 crisis stretches on. 

CEO Ed Sims said the decision is being made to “ensure the sustainability of our airline.” 

Work is “simply not available” because the company is seeing passenger numbers fall below 5% of pre-pandemic levels, Sims added.

The staff will be laid off in early May but will be retained on the company’s payroll with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program. 

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That means they will be entitled to 75% of their salaries, up to $847 a week. 

 “We continue to work with our employee and labour groups on ways to maintain employment through the crisis,” Sims said. 

WestJet has already released more than 80% of its outside contractors, frozen hiring, stopped all non-essential travel and training, suspended salary adjustments, cut executive pay and paused over 75% of capital projects. 

Last week, the Air Line Pilots Union said 700 WestJet pilots received layoff notices effective May 1, with 1,000 more kicking in on June 1, depending on seniority.

A fortnight ago, the Calgary-based company announced it would bring back nearly 6,400 laid-off workers to its payroll using the federal government’s wage subsidy program.