A cross-party group of MPs has called on the government to
take urgent action to safeguard jobs in the aviation industry and ensure its
survival in a letter to transport secretary Grant Shapps.
The Future of Aviation Group, made up of 40 MPs in
partnership with the Airport Operators Association, Airlines UK, IATA and other
industry bodies, raised concerns about what they called a “lack of progress” on
providing wider support for the industry, which they said provides a “significant
economic and social contribution to the UK and will be central to our long-term
economic recovery”.
“We need urgent action now to safeguard jobs,” the letter
said. “The consequences of inaction in this vital area are simply unthinkable.”
They also asked how often the incoming 14-day quarantine
measures for international arrivals would be reviewed and urged the government
to prioritise the establishment of “air bridges” to enable people to travel to
and from low-risk countries.
Bosses from more than 70 travel firms have also written to
the government to oppose the quarantine requirement, saying the restrictions will
discourage foreign visitors from travelling to the UK and will deter UK
residents from travelling abroad, likely causing “other countries to impose
reciprocal quarantine requirements on British visitors”.
The news came as Easyjet announced it would reduce its staff
by up to 30 per cent, putting about 4,500 jobs at risk. British Airways,
Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic are also planning redundancies, with the latter
ceasing operations at Gatwick airport – a major blow for the surrounding area of
Crawley, which is heavily dependent on aviation for jobs.
The call for action has been echoed by the Unite union,
which represents more than 68,000 workers in the aviation sector. It conducted
research that found airports and their activity contribute billions of pounds to local and national economies and nearly 200,000 jobs for their
surrounding areas, many of which could be lost without a bespoke package of
support.
Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “Airports
are hubs for massive economic activity for our towns and cities, supporting
jobs from cabin crew and ground handling to engineers and cleaners. But they
are facing huge challenges at the moment and need urgent assistance to secure a
future where they can continue to provide important routes and support millions
of direct and indirect jobs.”