INTERNATIONAL. Airports Council International (ACI) World and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have come together to call for governments to quickly grant financial relief to assist airports and airlines during the COVID-19 crisis.
ACI is the voice of airports worldwide, while IATA represents the airline community.
They noted that the industry is “united with governments around the world in efforts to stop the spread of the virus, and, in the face of massive government imposed travel restrictions, the industry is doing all it can to maintain air cargo operations vital to supporting global supply chains, including medical shipments critical to fighting COVID-19”.
Airports and airlines continue to face a financial liquidity crisis, noted the two associations. “With passenger demand plummeting to unprecedented levels, revenues are falling beyond the ability of even the most extreme cost-cutting measures to mitigate.”
They said that the aviation industry supports 65.5 million jobs around the world, including 10.5 million people employed at airports and by airlines, and supports US$2.7 trillion in world economic activity.
ACI and IATA are calling for urgent balanced support to the industry via:
*tax relief, including alleviation of payroll taxes, corporate taxes, concession fees or other government incomes from the industry;
*loans, loan guarantees or direct support to maintain financial liquidity across the aviation ecosystem.
“The financial impact of the current crisis is unlike anything we have ever seen and requires urgent action by governments to assist the aviation industry to protect jobs, ensure essential operations, and plan for recovery,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said.
“Urgent tax relief and direct financial assistance that is to the benefit of the entire aviation ecosystem is needed to help preserve millions of jobs, protect essential operations, and foster a balanced recovery. Preserving the continuity of operations for airports and airlines and protecting aviation jobs today will result in a faster economic recovery tomorrow.”
IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said the situation could not be more dire.
“Governments will depend on aviation to be ready to lead an economic recovery when this pandemic is behind us,” he said. “Governments must act now with financial lifelines that only they can provide for airlines and airports to see them through these extraordinary times. Airlines and airports are in this together. The more financially stable our airport partners are, the more they can help the industry to drive a recovery in air travel that will jump start the global economy.”
