Emirates airline has said it will have to make staff redundant due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson confirmed it would have "to say goodbye" to some of its staff, following the economic strain placed on the state-owned business caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

The spokesperson said: “The current pandemic has impacted many industries around the world and although we have endeavoured to sustain the current family as is, we reviewed all possible scenarios in order to sustain our business operations, but have come to the conclusion that we unfortunately have to say goodbye to a few of the wonderful people that worked with us.

The statement stressed that Emirates was "doing everything possible to protect jobs" where possible, adding that it would treat those who it let go with "fairness and respect".

The airline industry has been badly affected by Covid-19, with travel restrictions resulting in a significant drop in demand - leading British Airways (BA) and other airlines to ground most of their flights.

Emirates is not alone in choosing to lay off some of its workforce.

Willie Walsh, the chief executive of IAG, has confirmed that BA will cut up to 12,000 jobs, which amounts to 29 per cent of its staff.

Huw Merriman, chair of the Transport Select Committee, criticised the decision earlier this month, saying that BA had taken advantage of the furlough scheme which was designed to prevent redundancies.

“BA’s loyal staff deserve better than to be treated like this," he said.