Airport ‘massively impacted’ by virus crisis, reveals boss
CARDIFF Airport’s interim boss has revealed that business is down 93% on the same time last year.
Chief executive Spencer Birns said the airport, owned by the Welsh Government, has been “massively impacted” by the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to the Welsh Affairs Committee, he said the UK government’s furlough scheme had been “very helpful” to the airport.
He said it appeared “quite challenging” for the airport to benefit from the Job Support Scheme, that will replace furlough from November 1.
“We’re massively impacted by the Covid crisis,” he told the Welsh Affairs Committe.
“To put it into context, we’re down 93% compared to this time last year.”
Mr Birns said the furlough scheme, or Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, “has been very helpful to us on the current structure”.
He added: “We are yet to get the full details of the scheme announced last week, but on the initial look at that it is going to be quite challenging for us to be able to utilise that.
“It is more akin to dealing with the hospitality sector, than the airport sector but we are having a good look at it.”
Workers on furlough have had 80% of their wages paid by the government, although that level of support has reduced as the scheme nears its end.
The Job Support Scheme will see the government help top up wages, with companies asked to pay 55% of the bill, provided employees work at least a third of their hours.
Aviation has been one of the sectors hardest hit by coronavirus, with warnings hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk across the globe.