Government must end the chaos around Covid travel rules or risk
jobs and skills in the aviation sector, a leading aviation trade
union has warned.
Prospect union represents air traffic controllers, aircraft
engineers and other aviation workers, and argued that the
changing travel advice meant that companies could not plan and
was putting jobs at risk. The union argued that government should
extend support such as the furlough scheme which is due to end
over the summer due to the likelihood of ongoing restrictions.
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said:
“Thousands of aviation jobs are on the line because of the chaos
the government is causing with its mixed messaging on travel
advice.
“Passengers are trying to make sensible judgements about risk and
businesses are trying to plan for demand, but the government
seems to change position every time a different minister is
interviewed.
“If this instability continues, with countries being added and
taken off lists every few weeks, then it will be impossible to
have a sustainable recovery in the aviation sector which is
crucial as part of the wider economic recovery.
“Government advice is causing this instability and government
have to take responsibility for supporting jobs in the sector.
“Government simply has to consider extending the furlough scheme
in aviation and providing more bespoke support for the sector, or
risk a wave of job losses and a loss of skills that will take
years to reverse as well as risking losing key elements of our
aviation capacity and infrastructure permanently.”
