CATHERINE KING – MEDIA RELEASE – INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR AVIATION PLAN – WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2020

The International Air Transport Association, the global body representing 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic, has joined with the International Transport Workers’ Federation in calling on governments around the world to “prevent an employment catastrophe in the aviation industry” and deliver a long-term plan for the future of the stricken sector.

Labor will use the Future of Australia’s Aviation Sector inquiry established this week by the Senate to ensure the voices of aviation workers and businesses are heard and that the Morrison Government finally delivers a plan for aviation.

As a sparsely-populated island nation Australia is uniquely reliant on domestic and international aviation – but the Morrison Government has stood by as thousands of jobs have been lost across and ignored calls for assistance from airlines, unions, workers and other aviation businesses.

With Australia’s international borders remaining closed for the foreseeable future, and domestic travel still well below pre-covid levels,  it is essential that the Morrison Government continues to support Australia’s aviation workers.

Australia’s aviation workers are highly skilled and undergo high levels of security screening – it is a workforce that cannot be rebuilt overnight.

Instead of developing a plan for aviation, the Morrison Government has denied support to airports, denied JobKeeper to Dnata workers, allowed Virgin Australia to fall into administration and failed to act as Qantas sacked thousands of workers.

Rather than providing handouts for private jets and favoured airlines, the Morrison Government must urgently support the entirety of this industry.

WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2020