Airport backs call for vital industry support

BOSSES at Exeter Airport are calling for the Government to extend the furlough scheme as part of a package of urgent financial measures being sought to protect the lockdown ravaged aviation industry.

The airport is backing a new report published by trade body the Airport Operators Association (AOA) which says a comprehensive recovery package is needed to see airports through the immediate government-ordered shut-down of aviation.

AOA’s Airport Recovery Plan says this must include targeted financial support as well as a clear pathway to re-start flights across the four UK nations by easing travel restrictions when it is safe to do so, including through testing.

It wants the UK and devolved governments to then set out measures to boost airports’ chances to make a success of the recovery, especially as the UK will be competing fiercely with other countries for the return of airlines and routes.

The report says that if Government support is not forthcoming then people and businesses which depend on aviation will carry the heaviest burden, particularly outside London and the South East.

A spokesperson for Exeter Airport said: “Exeter Airport wholeheartedly supports the AOA’s Airport Recovery Plan and echoes its call for the UK Government to take a leadership role in bringing together other countries to set out a common approach to restarting aviation safely.

“It is a critical time for aviation, with regional airports bearing the brunt of extended inactivity in our skies. Specifically, we ask the Government to extend the furlough scheme beyond April 30 to avoid further job losses and reduced investment in the UK’s infrastructure.”

The report was launched on the day the Government revealed airports across the South West can now apply for a grant of up to £8 million under the Airport and Ground Operators Support Scheme.

The scheme has been set up by commercial airports across England to cover losses on costs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, including airfield operations, contracted services such as airfield and runway maintenance and business rate bills.

Six airports in the South West will benefit – Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, St Mary’s (Isles of Scilly), Land’s End and Newquay.

The AOA’s Airport Recovery Plan, based on a report commissioned from business consultancy Steer, says the outlook for aviation in 2021 is deteriorating and not materially better than “disastrous 2020”.