British Airways workers at Gatwick were today putting on a brave face after their employer announced across-the-board job cuts.

The airline is to shed 5,800 jobs - 3,000 of them at the Sussex airport - in a move to slash costs, but staff said it could have been worse.

Work continued as normal, but the news of so many job losses was on the lips many BA employees.

One loading supervisor, who asked not to be named, said: "I expected there to be some sort of news today. I'm not happy about the routes taken away from Gatwick."

He said the problems were caused by a fall in passenger numbers after the September 11 terror attacks in the USA.

He added: "I think things will be OK. There has been a lot of uncertainty, but I think the jobs going will be management staff."

The supervisor believed his job would be safe.

He said: "What with September 11 and that impact, there was always going to be further uncertainty ... The same thing has happened to all the airlines."

Asked if he had confidence in BA's top management he said: "I am hoping they are going to get it right - it's my future that's involved."

A BA porter, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: "It's not as bad as it could have been ... It's over two years, I believe. That's not as bad as it might have been."

Asked about potential job cuts at Gatwick, he said: "I think we are OK at the moment. I have been here seven years."

He said the number of people using the airport had "noticeably fallen" since the massacres in America.

"Staff have been quite worried but if it's going to happen, it's going to happen."