Universal Parks & Resorts has further delayed construction of its Epic Universe theme park in Orlando and is cutting more jobs.
Universal Orlando’s parks reopened in early June with certain restrictions in place after being closed in mid-March.
But the company is making adjustments to operations, including an unspecified number of layoffs, as it deals with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Epic Universe was originally due to open in 2023 but construction was delayed in April to 2024. No revised date has been released.
Universal theme parks revenue dropped by 94% in the second quarter of the year, with the division generating $87 million, down significantly from nearly $1.5 billion in the same period last year.
The company said: “We continue to manage our business through challenging times, focusing on the health and safety of our guests and team members and working to remain as resilient as possible.
“We are prioritising daily operations and shorter-term projects and continuing our pause on longer-term projects such as Epic Universe as we allow the tourism industry to recover.
“We have again made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce to reflect current priorities and needs.
“As always, we are aware of the impact this will have on those affected by this decision and their families.
“We are grateful for their contribution and we will support them through this process with severance pay, subsidised health benefits and reemployment assistance.
“We continue to have confidence in the long term future of our business, our industry and our community.”