It was hardly a surprise that British Airways announced it was cutting 3,000 jobs at Gatwick.

The company was losing £2 million a day and drastic action was needed.

But it's still bad news for everybody involved. The size of the loss can be gauged by the fact that few other Sussex companies even have 3,000 employees.

Many of them should get other jobs and there will be plenty willing to go voluntarily.

Other operators appear willing to move into Gatwick, including some of the cut-price airlines which have caused BA so much grief.

The reshaping of BA should make it a leaner and more competitive outfit.

But it remains to be seen whether it can take on the specialist low-cost airlines while maintaining its role as a top business carrier.

The company has blamed the decision to move many flights to Heathrow on the fact that Gatwick has only one runway.

Its decision must put the question of a second runway back on the table, even though there is so much opposition to it.

Gatwick is by far the biggest employer in Sussex. It is one of the biggest single-runway airports in the world.

How much longer can it stay a world-class airport without the second runway?

This question will have to be answered in the next few years, otherwise this sort of announcement may not be the last.