Airport joins call to restart travel after losing 30% of staff
BRISTOL Airport has been forced to cut 30 per cent of its workforce after taking a huge financial hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The news comes as airport bosses urge the UK Government to “reinstate a risk-managed approach to international travel” this summer.
As part of an open letter on Bristol Airport’s website entitled “Speak Up for Travel”, Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: “Today shows the high level of collaboration across the travel sector to highlight the impact to the aviation industry caused by the pandemic.
“In 2019 more than 4,000 jobs were based at Bristol Airport. Since Covid we had to reduce the workforce by 30 per cent, and colleagues are still in furlough or flexi-furlough 15 months later. We need Government to introduce the safe return of travel by implementing a risk-based approach to decisions and open up travel in time for the summer months.
“The reason for the traffic light system being introduced was to avoid a repeat of last summer, where customers were caught out by sudden rule changes. However, the Government has failed to use its own ‘green watchlist,’ resulting in many of those returning from Portugal recently facing unexpected quarantine. This has severely undermined the confidence of customers travelling in the critical coming months.
“The UK is already behind. The European Union’s decision to open up travel corridors means that our competitor airports, and competitor nations, are in advance of us. This is deeply frustrating as the aviation industry wants to play a major part in supporting and forming a new Global Britain.
“The Government’s support to date has been a lifeline, but it is clear that the lifting of support will come just as UK aviation faces its most difficult phase and as most other sectors expect to see strong growth. The decisions the Government has made will cause lasting damage to the UK aviation sector unless there is additional and targeted support for the remainder of 2021.”
In the open letter, the airport called on the UK Government to:
Allow international travel to return safely and in a risk-managed way by properly implementing the Global Travel Taskforce’s plan for a trafficlight system, by expanding the green list in line with the evidence and making restrictions more proportionate, while keeping a strong red list to guard against variants.
Bring forward a package of tailored financial support, including extension of furlough support, recognising that the travel sector’s ability to trade and generate income is much slower than first anticipated and more gradual than for businesses in the domestic economy.
Tim Morris, regional officer at Unite, said: “The aviation industry is important to the UK economy and workers are engaged not just directly in airports and airlines but also in the supply chain, including food, transport and aerospace manufacturing.
“These jobs are vital to Unite members and we are looking to the Government to minimise uncertainty for aviation and enable a level playing field so that the UK can compete internationally whilst supporting jobs.
“The Government must change its approach and implement the trafficlight system that encourages travel wherever possible whilst still protecting the UK.
“As well as this the civil aviation industry needs an extended furlough scheme that allows flexibility and security whilst full supporting workers’ pay.”