London, Oct 8 (IANS): Some 900 jobs were at risk at three UK airports after the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the "toughest summer ever", the media reported.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said 465 jobs were under threat at Manchester Airport, as well as 376 at London Stansted Airport and 51 at East Midlands Airport, reports the BBC.

It said there had been a massive reduction in travel at its airports with only 2.8 million passengers between April and August compared to 30.3 million in the same period last year.

The Group said that it had already taken steps to reduce costs, including asking employees to take a 10 per cent pay cut for a year, pausing investment and reducing its management team.

However, the "absence of support for the aviation sector, coupled with a lack of progress in introducing testing for UK passengers, has continued to undermine consumer confidence in air travel", the BBC quoted the MAG as saying in the statement.

It further said that passenger demand was not expected to recover fully before 2023-24.

Also in the statement, MAG Chief Executive Charlie Cornish said the Group would engage in talks with "to make sure we minimise the impact on our people as much as we can".

Reacting to the development, the Unite union blamed the government's "failure to support to the aviation sector" for the "bitter blow to the hard working staff at Manchester Airport".