Distribution group John Menzies, which has an office in Crawley, is slashing 1,200 jobs around the world.
The cuts will come in the company's aviation division.
The division has suffered from the slowing global economy and the September 11 terror attacks. About 200 jobs are expected to go in the UK.
The aviation arm, based near Heathrow, provides a range of services, including cargo handling.
The global reduction in headcount will be through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory redundancies, although some jobs will go through natural wastage.
The group said: "Although painful, these actions are necessary and Menzies Aviation is poised to benefit rapidly from an expected upturn in activity levels in due course."
The aviation division operates at airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Stansted, Aberdeen, Manchester, East Midlands, Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
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