Reports now state that Japan Airlines is planning to slash a third of its workforce. This means that the airline is now planning to cut more than 16,000 jobs. The airline is going to close 49 unprofitable domestic and international routes in an attempt to bring itself back up to profitability.

The airline went on to say that it plans to cut some 103 aircraft from its fleet. Most of the planes that it will be cutting will be from its fleet of 747’s. The announcement comes just after the airline filed for bankruptcy protection back on January 19.

Some of the job reduction that the company will see will come by way of early retirement and the sale of its subsidiaries. A statement from the airline said that, by fully implementing these measures, the airline will aim to become profitable again quickly.

Japan Airlines was one of the carriers that was hit really hard by falling passenger numbers during the big global economic downturn. It now faces the problem of trying to get profits back up so it can return to profitability.

Right now new plans for the airline are in short detail. Not too much is known about how the airline plans on increasing its revenue. As of now, most people are only seeing the airline cutting routes and jobs in order to cut costs.

The airline, which was the country’s former flag carrier, said that it is now considering launching a low cost airline subsidiary. This may be the best bet for the airline since most people are just looking to save money right now. However, the company has declined to elaborate on its plans right now.