UK airports disappointed in change in government COVID-19 support

With the UK government recently announcing that airports and airlines will not have industry-wide financial help during the COVID-19 crisis, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA) Karen Dee said the industry will now have to “fight on its own to protect its workforce and its future”.

Commenting the government’s decision not to support airlines and airports with one, comprehensive package but take a case-by-case approach instead, Dee continued: “After having publicly announced a support package for airports and airlines, we’re surprised by where we find ourselves today. 

“With passenger numbers approaching close to zero, UK airports have seen a major drop in revenue. They are taking unprecedented steps to safeguard airport staff and operations through this crisis, which could include in some cases considering shutting down for a period of time. This could have major impacts for UK communities and businesses.”

Dee emphasised that “airports are continuing to provide lifeline services to the Highlands & Islands communities and the UK Crown Dependencies and freight services to ensure vital supplies (including medical supplies) arrive in the UK. They are also the base of operations for UK Search & Rescue operations, for offshore oil, gas and wind farms that provide vital energy supplies and they play a critical role in the management of UK airspace”.

“All of that is now put at risk by the government’s decision,” Dee continued. “While countries across Europe have recognised the vital role airports play and are stepping into the breach, the UK government’s decision to take a case-by-case approach with dozens of UK airports is simply not feasible to provide the support necessary in the coming days.”

Dee now urges the government to reconsider and at the very least provide a comprehensive package of support for airports and ground-based services, to ensure the UK’s critical aviation infrastructure is ready to take off once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

According to Dee, this comprehensive package of support should include:

• Increase the flexibility of the employment retention scheme to take account of the airport context, including for example, around mandatory training and certification requirements and ability to maintain a skeleton staff to continue critical operations
• Extending business rate relief to airports, airport retail and hospitality businesses and other airport support companies
• In addition to VAT deferral, deferral of all other taxes, such as corporation tax, for the duration of global flight restrictions 
• Require banks and bondholders to temporarily not enforce financial performance-based banking covenants
• Suspend regulatory costs on airports where possible, including by deferring deadlines on mandated investments such as next generation security scanning equipment
• Provide relief from airport policing costs.

“Not only does the decision today leave airports struggling to provide critical services, it will hamper the UK recovery,” Dee said. “In addition to financial support, the support package should have included sector-wide regulatory alleviations, to reduce costs today and put in place the measures necessary to support airports, ground handling agents, air navigation service providers and others in their operational recovery once the pandemic recedes.”