CONTINUING CRISIS MEANS MORE AVIATION SUPPORT NEEDED

With the ongoing COVID crisis slowing Australia’s recovery, it is clear that the Morrison Government will need to deliver more support to the entirety of Australia’s ailing aviation sector, including airlines and ground handling companies.

Prior to the crisis, Virgin Australia and its subsidiaries operated almost 900 weekly flights between Melbourne and destinations around Australia, including up to 287 flights between Melbourne and Sydney. Pre-COVID, Qantas was similarly reliant on these lucrative routes.

Australia’s aviation crisis extends beyond our airlines, with an alliance of ground handling companies reporting that air traffic volumes will have to increase to 90 per cent of normal levels for them to remain viable beyond September.

With international tourism off the agenda for the foreseeable future, and Melbourne back in lockdown, it is clear that our aviation sector will not simply “snap-back”.

Aviation will be essential as we come out of this crisis, opening domestic tourism markets, supporting the reopening of Australia’s business sector, and eventually reopening Australia to the world.

But for aviation to be able to play that role, the Government will need to come up with a comprehensive plan for aviation.

Throughout this crisis the Morrison Government has allowed Virgin Australia to fall into voluntary administration, denied support to thousands of Dnata workers, and refused to provide guarantees of ongoing support the night before Qantas laid-off 6,000 workers.

Every job lost and route cut is down to the inaction of Scott Morrison.

TUESDAY, 14 JULY 2020