Overly cautious approach to international travel risks further job losses
Today, the All Party-Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation has released an analysis of unemployment statistics that shows that airport communities continue to hardest hit by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nationally, the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits rose by 79% between March 2020 and July 2021 with the constituencies containing the UK’s top 20 airports seeing unemployment rise by 105%.
This includes increases of:
157% in Hayes and Harlington, the home of London Heathrow Airport
142% in Crawley, the home of London Gatwick Airport
151% in Saffron Walden, the home of London Stansted Airport
148% in Luton South, the home of London Luton International Airport
99% in Edinburgh West, the home of Edinburgh International Airport
The APPG is repeating its call for an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2022 and for the Government to work with industry and affected local authorities to agree further financial support over the challenging winter months.
These figures come as the latest Coronavirus Job Retention figures show that 58% of those employed in passenger air transport and 49% in travel agency and tour operator activities remain on furlough support.
Commenting Henry Smith MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation said:
“Our overly cautious approach to reopening has put the brakes on the aviation sector’s recovery from COVID-19, with passenger numbers remaining at low levels which has left the UK lagging behind our European neighbours.
“Our aviation, travel and tourism communities have borne the brunt of this with the increase in unemployment well above the national average. After a second lost summer and with over half of aviation and tourism employees relying on the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme, we run the very real risk that these figures will increase.
“With their recovery continuing to be held back by an overly cautious approach and onerous and expensive testing requirements they will be the last industry to recovery from the pandemic and the consequences of failing to protect these jobs will be unthinkable.
“We will not see a full recovery from the pandemic without an aviation and travel sector that is fighting fit. That is why it is essential that the Chancellor continues to provide employment support to the aviation, travel and tourism industries and we end the overly cautious approach to travel that has put the brakes on our recovery.”