NTUC and The SMMWU steps up to support over 500 workers affected by Jetstar Asia’s closure

The Labour Movement and its partners stand ready to help the employees affected by the closure of Jetstar Asia, a Singapore-based budget airline.

In a Facebook post on 11 June 2025, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said that NTUC and Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) were informed of the closure in advance, adding that the union has been working closely with the airline to support retrenched workers.

The SMMWU, an NTUC-affiliated union, has a longstanding 16-year relationship with the airline.

Mr Ng also shared that officers from NTUC and the NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) will be deployed at Changi Airport Terminal 1 next week to provide on-site support to members and other affected workers. The support will include career coaching, skills upgrading, and employability assistance.

The Labour Chief also stated that NTUC will leverage its extensive Labour Movement network to assist impacted employees.

NTUC will match affected Jetstar Asia employees, including crew and corporate staff, to available suitable roles within Singapore Airlines, a unionised company. Meanwhile, the NTUC Aviation and Aerospace cluster of unions will synchronise efforts with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group to identify potential job opportunities for displaced workers.

“Our focus remains on doing all we can to help workers land on their feet and move forward with confidence. Transitions are never easy, but our workers will not go through this alone,” Mr Ng emphasised.

In a statement issued on the same day, the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation announced that it will work closely with Jetstar Asia and the union to support the affected workers.

The taskforce comprises members from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Workforce Singapore (WSG), NTUC, and NTUC’s e2i.

The taskforce noted that the carrier has committed to providing a retrenchment package aligned with the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.

“Our priority is to help the affected employees with employment facilitation,” it said.

The taskforce has also encouraged companies facing impending closures or having retrenchment plans to submit an early alert on the MOM website. Doing so will enable WSG and NTUC’s e2i to step forward with Government assistance schemes, retrenchment guidelines, and employment facilitation.

The SMMWU assists affected Jetstar Asia employees

The SMMWU is also partnering with Jetstar Asia to assist members and workers affected by the budget airlines’ closure.

In a statement also issued on 11 June 2025, The SMMWU Secretary-General Andy Lim said it has negotiated with the company to ensure retrenched workers and members will be “treated with care and receive fair compensation.”

As it works with NTUC, the NTUC Aviation and Aerospace cluster of unions, and industry partners, Mr Lim said the union will provide additional job placement assistance, career advisory services, and financial aid, where necessary.

Mr Lim shared that affected workers can also consider applying for the SkillsFuture Jobseekers Support scheme to receive temporary financial aid of up to $6,000 over a six-month period.

The initiative, launched in April this year, increases jobseekers’ chances of finding a job that better utilises their skills and experiences while they receive financial assistance to navigate job loss.

He also urged its 80 affected union members to use the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) to defray training costs should they decide to upgrade their skills while job hunting.

The Jetstar Asia closure

Australia’s Qantas Group, the parent company of Jetstar Asia, announced on 11 June 2025 that it will close the airline amid rising supplier costs, airport fees and aviation costs, as well as growing capacity and regional competition.

Projecting that these challenges will continue in the future, the airline explained that these challenges have put “unsustainable pressure on the airline’s ability to offer low fares, which is fundamental to its business model.”

The Singapore-based budget carrier will continue to operate until 31 July 2025.

Over 500 Jetstar Asia employees will be affected by the closure.

“We have an exceptional team who provide world-leading customer service and best-in-class operational performance, and our focus is on supporting them through this process and helping them to find new roles in the industry,” said Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully.

The carrier said that it will provide all employees with retrenchment benefits and other support services. Where possible, employees could also be redeployed within the Qantas Group as well as other airlines and aviation partners in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the Group’s Australian and New Zealand-based Jetstar Airways and Japan-based Jetstar Japan are not impacted by the retrenchments. This includes Jetstar Airways flights between Australia and Singapore.

Union members needing assistance can contact SMMWU at feedback@smmwu.org.sg or 6294 2481 from Mondays to Thursdays (9am-6pm) and Fridays (9am- 5pm).