Virgin Atlantic has said it is to reduce some services next winter, which could result in the loss of up to 600 jobs.

The airline will not be operating its Heathrow-Chicago daily service for the winter 2009/10 season and is also suspending one of its two daily services between Heathrow and Hong Kong.

Virgin said there will be additional frequency reductions on some other routes throughout the winter, with the total capacity reduction being 7 per cent compared with winter 2008/09.

Staff numbers will need to be reduced, Virgin said, and it will begin consultations with staff "about the possibility of up to 600 redundancies across the business".

The airline went on: "We are keeping our staff fully informed and will be working closely with staff and union representatives in order to find ways to protect as many jobs as possible and avoid compulsory redundancies."

Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway said: "The outlook for the industry is as bleak as ever and all airlines are having to shrink their businesses. The fittest will survive and be in a stronger position when the economy grows.

"We will look to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies and ensure we treat our staff as fairly as possible."

British Airways has also announced changes to its winter 2009/10 programme with the airline's Gatwick to Rome services reduced to one a day from two, while reductions from Heathrow include Brussels from seven to six flights a day; Paris (Charles de Gaulle) from ten to nine, Nice and Berlin from six to five and Edinburgh from eleven to ten.

But Heathrow-Warsaw and Heathrow-Istanbul frequencies will increase from two a day to three, while Heathrow-Rome rises from five a day to six.

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