EXTENSION NEEDED TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC AIR ROUTES

With their agreement to underwrite Australia’s domestic aviation network due to expire next week, the Morrison Government must move quickly to ensure essential flights continue.

As restrictions ease across the country and the numbers of flights increases it is likely that while flights between major metropolitan centres may become commercially viable, those routes in lower demand and to regional centres will not.

Supporting Australia’s domestic network is vital in ensuring that essential travel and freight can continue while Covid-19 restrictions remain in place.

The Morrison Government’s underwriting of the domestic network has kept a small number of flights in the air over the last two months, but if they let their agreement expire next week many regions around Australia will suddenly find themselves without access to the air routes that are vital to their economies.

Throughout this crisis the Morrison Government has refused to extend JobKeeper to thousands of aviation workers and allowed Virgin Australia to fall into voluntary administration through a lack of support.

The Government cannot allow regions across our country to be left without flights.

THURSDAY, 4 JUNE 2020