In just one day, 25 colleagues were laid off, mostly Airbus pilots and a few from the B737 fleet. I believe these were primarily those who refused to sign the new contracts.
In Turkey, only instructors will remain, handling regular daytime flights, while a few crews will be left to endure the grueling night shifts.
All other pilots are being placed on unpaid leave. The chief pilot couldn’t specify how long this would last but hinted that the summer will be filled with “exciting new projects”—though, of course, it’s not his place to reveal the company’s secrets (sarcasm intended).
Meanwhile, skilled pilots will be looking for new opportunities, leaving only those with no other options behind.
For now, everyone is keeping quiet—especially the Ukrainians and Latinos.
At the same time, the LinkedIn propaganda machine continues to present its “successes” to the aviation community:
"Last week, the SmartLynx team came together for the final CEO Update of 2024, a wrap-up on a year defined by resilience, achievements, and milestones.
Our CEO, Edvinas Demenius, shared the story of this year – a mix of challenges that tested us and successes that fueled our growth. 🙌 With exciting projects on the horizon and a shared vision for 2025, we’re ready to continue the climb.”