Australia has the most effective domestic aviation system in the world, serving us all with distinction for 100 years.
Our airlines, airports and associated companies are comprised of hundreds of thousands of highly-skilled, dedicated Australians.
The Federal Opposition is confident that our aviation sector is resilient and it will bounce back once the Coronavirus outbreak passes.
We welcomed the relief package to the airlines announced on Tuesday this week, but made clear that more support to the aviation sector was needed.
With conditions rapidly changing and no end in sight, I have written to the Deputy Prime Minister requesting the Federal Government step up efforts to support our aviation sector.
The CEO of Virgin, Paul Scurrah, has said it’s important to discuss the need for further government support now:
“Everybody in our industry may need further government support.”
Australian Financial Review, 18 March 2020
Regional Express Airlines said in a statement the aviation support package did not go far enough:
“Rex is disappointed that the package does not include a sovereign guarantee of new loans taken up by regional carriers to tide them through the period of extreme negative cash flow until normalcy returns and we are hopeful that this will be adopted in a second stage of assistance.”
Regional Express Media Release, 18 March 2020
The Federal Government must publicly commit to working with the aviation sector and urgently outline a clear path forward to ensure that current structure of the airline industry is maintained beyond the current crisis.
Labor continues to play a constructive, responsible, supportive role during this outbreak and that includes injecting a sense of urgency when it is lacking or absent.