Pilots union Balpa has written to the chancellor Rishi Sunak to demand he “make good on his promise” to do “whatever it takes” to protect jobs.
Balpa is calling for a sector-specific extension to furlough and argues that international travel is “the only sector remaining in lockdown” as domestic restrictions are relaxed this month.
Without financial support, it warns “UK aviation will nosedive into another bleak winter” having been “the first sector into the crisis” and “now confirmed as the last out”.
Balpa’s letter states that aviation has faced ‘18 months of heavy losses’ and that nternational travel is still crippled by regulations and a lack of public confidence.
It also highlights the importance of UK aviation in the rebuilding of global connectivity and warns we will lose our place as world leaders in aviation if the sector is not supported now.
Balpa acting general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “Back in March 2020, the chancellor promised he’d do ‘whatever it takes’ to protect sectors facing ‘particularly acute challenges’.
“With international travel still bound up in heavy restrictions and complicated regulations, it is clear the sector needs that financial help now, so we have written to Mr Sunak to ask him to make good on his promise.
“We’ve called for a sector specific extension to furlough in recognition of the particular challenges that aviation has faced though the crisis and to protect against the loss of the specialist skills and training that could arise if the government does nothing.
“Failing to support these highly skilled employees means we risk losing wholesale the expertise and experience that drive the whole sector and that will be vital in putting the UK at the centre of global connectivity and in rebuilding the post Covid UK economy.”