Shetland’s busy oil airport at Scatsta is set to cut staff by almost a third in response to the offshore industry contracting its North Sea operations in the wake of the oil price decline.
Airport operators Serco have confirmed they are looking to reduce their headcount by between 25% and 35% by the end of the year.
The move comes after Bristow Helicopters announced it was in consultation with staff over jobs earlier this month.
In the past two decades Scatsa has seen a rapid growth within its workforce due to the increase in offshore activity offshore.
According to reports, the decline in oil price, which has seen a number of companies reduce staffing numbers, has now filtered through to the airport.
This is in part due to fewer flights being needed to as staff move to a three on, three off work shift pattern.
Serco is understood to be looking for voluntary redundancies and offering to redeploy staff within the airport or elsewhere.
Airport director John Thorne said:“We have asked for applications to a voluntary redundancy programme and offered possible redeployment to other Serco contracts,” he said.
“We are currently in discussion with the unions and employees and it is very important that employees know first how this will affect them and when.”