British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce said Thursday that net losses more than doubled last year to £3.2 billion, hit by the coronavirus pandemic which forced thousands of company layoffs.

The loss after tax, equivalent to $4.4 billion or 3.7 billion euros, compared with a loss of £1.3 billion in 2019, the company said.

Revenues tanked almost 29 percent to about £11.8 billion, with civil aviation hit the hardest by coronavirus.

The aviation sector was slammed last year as the contagion grounded aircraft worldwide and sparked a crisis in air transport.

The company saved more than £1.0 billion in costs last year, including via the loss of 7,000 jobs in a restructuring drive that seeks to shed "at least" 9,000 roles by the end of 2022.

Rolls, which operates in the air, defence and energy sectors, has slashed jobs and costs as it seeks to navigate damaging fallout from the health emergency.