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Volvo Cars to cut six percent of its Swedish workforce

Chinese-owned Volvo Cars of Sweden announced on Thursday that it would cut 1,300 white-collar positions in Sweden in an effort to cut costs and warned that global cost-cutting measures were on the horizon.

Volvo Cars to cut six percent of its Swedish workforce
Photo: Joakim Ståhl/SvD/TT

CEO Jim Rowan said in a statement that cost-cutting measures taken last year had started to “bear results” but “it’s clear that we need to do more.”

“Economic headwinds, increased raw material prices and increased competition are likely to remain a challenge to our industry for some time,” he said.

The office job cuts represent around six percent of its employees in Sweden, the company said.

While Thursday’s announcement concerns only Sweden, the company said it “will reduce costs and drive efficiencies across its global operations over the coming months.”

In late April, the carmaker reported a drop in first-quarter profits — despite higher sales — and said it was “evaluating the need for further targeted cost actions.”

It had reported a 10 percent increase in vehicles sold to some 162,900, and a 29 percent increase in revenue to 95.7 billion kronor ($9.3 billion).

But the company’s net profit fell to 3.98 billion kronor from 4.5 billion a year earlier.

The carmaker, which aims to become 100 percent electric by 2030, also said that one in five cars sold in the first quarter had been electric.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Stockholm’s Bromma Airport’s future in doubt after it loses 90 percent of air traffic

The future of Stockholm's second airport, Bromma, is in doubt after regional airline BRA struck a deal with SAS that will move nearly all flights to Arlanda Airport.

Stockholm's Bromma Airport's future in doubt after it loses 90 percent of air traffic

As of January 1st, BRA will operate flights on behalf of SAS with Stockholm’s principal airport Arlanda as a hub, the two airlines announced in separate press releases.

As a result, around 90 percent of air traffic will disappear from Bromma airport, according to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

“I don’t think the airport will survive without us,” Per G Braathen, president of the BRA airline, told a press conference.

“We have been present at Bromma for 25 years and it is not profitable to run this airport. We need to concentrate on Arlanda,” he added.

The deal with SAS extends for over seven years and is worth around six billion kronor (530 million euros), BRA said in a statement.

The airline added that its fleet would be expanded and “more pilots and cabin crew will be recruited”, while ground services and administrative functions would be reduced.

The integration of BRA’s fleet with SAS will enhance Swedish infrastructure but is also “positioning Arlanda as a stronger central hub for domestic and international travel”, SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said in a statement.

Jonas Abrahamsson, CEO of Swedavia which operates Sweden’s airports, said that Tuesday’s announcement meant that domestic flights would now be concentrated on Arlanda.

“Bromma in principle will be without scheduled services,” Abrahamsson said in a statement.

He added that while many travellers liked Bromma, “a consolidation of air traffic to Arlanda is a natural development”.

Bromma Airport will lose its biggest air traffic operator from the turn of the year. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

The city of Stockholm wants to close Bromma airport as soon as possible to make way for housing and infrastructure, but Swedavia has a contract to operate the airport until 2038.

Daniella Waldfogel, CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement and said it meant that the closure of Bromma should be “moved forward”.

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