Following a call from France, the European Commission is today mobilising €9.8 million from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to help former workers of Air France, the French airline company, find new jobs.

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Most of the redundancies occurred in the regions of Ile-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA).

Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen commented: "Air transport, along with other sectors in Europe, is going through major structural changes as a consequence of changing global trade patterns. Our European Globalisation Adjustment Fund supports workers who experience hardship in this difficult transition, to adapt their skills and find new jobs. This is a concrete expression of European solidarity."

France applied for support from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund following the dismissal of 1,858 workers from Air France. These job losses were the result of the decline of the EU's market share of international passenger air transport between 2008 and 2015. The Globalisation Adjustment Fund will co-finance measures that will help the displaced workers find new jobs, by providing them with active career guidance, vocational training, as well as job-search and mobility allowances.

The total estimated cost of the set of measures is €16.5 million, of which the Globalisation Adjustment Fund would provide €9.8 million.

The proposal will now go to the European Parliament and the Council for approval.