Business this week

More swingeing job cuts were announced in the aviation business, an industry that has been hammered by the restrictions on travel. General Electric said 13,000 jobs would go in its aviation division; Rolls-Royce, which makes engines for Boeing and Airbus, was reportedly considering 8,000 lay-offs; Virgin Atlantic announced plans to reduce its workforce by a third and close its operations at London Gatwick; and Ryanair said it would reduce its headcount by 15%. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s abrasive boss, criticised the recent government rescues of Air France-KLM and other carriers as “state-aid doping” for weak airlines.