The UK’s airports are still waiting for sector-specific support
one year on from the Chancellor promising aid to help them get through the
Covid crisis.
Airport Operators Association chief executive
Karen Dee said: “A year ago, the Chancellor stood up
and noted some sectors faced ‘acute challenges’. He promised to work with the
Transport Secretary on a ‘support package specifically for airlines and
airports’. One year on, he has been proven right about the challenges but has
failed to deliver sufficient support.
“The Chancellor’s failure to deliver on his promise has resulted
in UK airports facing huge losses and trailing behind international
competitors, who did receive significant support from their governments. For
example, German airports received €820m of airport-specific support only last
month.
“Yet
despite dealing with the biggest crisis in their history, most airports remain
operational to support vital public services, such as Royal Mail, air
ambulances, Coastguard and the National Police Air Service, as well as other
critical services such as freight, including PPE and vaccines.”
The
AOA’s call came as statistics reveal that the level of passenger traffic through
Britain’s airports last summer had last been seen in the country in 1975. Some 14.1m
passengers travelled through UK airports from July to September 1975; 14.2m
passengers travelled during the same period in 2020.