UK airlines have appealed to the government to remove emergency travel restrictions or “urgently” provide financial support.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK which represents all the major UK-registered carriers, described consumer confidence as “shot to pieces” and warned of “a bleak few months ahead”.
He said the 500,000 jobs in UK aviation “can’t be sustained” without restrictions being lifted or government support.
The Cabinet met today to discuss whether to impose heightened domestic restriction due to soaring rates of Covid-19 infection, with the Treasury reported to be considering providing a new round of loans to businesses.
But Alderslade urged direct support for the sector. He argued: “Aviation has received no direct support since the end of furlough and until recently was the only sector with direct restrictions.
“We’re approaching the key booking period and consumer sentiment is shot to pieces due to testing requirements on travel that can cost hundreds of pounds when free NHS tests are available.”
Alderslade said: “We have a bleak few months ahead with potentially little to no revenue, yet still need to deliver for passengers and UK plc in the spring and summer.
“The cost to the wider economy will be hundreds of millions of pounds if we can’t open up – not to mention the jobs and skills that will be lost from the sector, many permanently.”
He insisted: “Offering more debt to a sector that has already borrowed billions of pounds is not sustainable.
“Last March, the Chancellor asked airlines to ‘pursue all possible actions to preserve cash and maximise liquidity’. We’ve done this, and more. Aviation has to be treated on a par with the domestic economy.
“Unless the government takes action to remove the remaining emergency travel restrictions, that it admits are increasingly redundant, the Chancellor must come to the table with economic support for the aviation industry.”