New wage subsidy will save aviation jobs says AAA

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s $130 billion economic package that will provide a fortnightly JobKeeper payment of $1,500 per person for eligible businesses.

AAA A/g Chief Executive Officer, Simon Bourke, said the subsidy would save jobs in the aviation industry as it deals with the unprecedented impact of COVID-19.

“We know aviation has been significantly impacted by this pandemic, with every lost passenger affecting not just airports but the many businesses that work in our terminals and on our precincts,” Bourke said. “The thousands of people that work on airport precincts across the nation can now have greater certainty over the coming months.

“This is a win for the airlines, retailers, screening staff and many more airport suppliers and partners, who can keep people on the books and ready for recovery when the time is right.”

Bourke said the subsidy would also provide a boost for the regions, which were now better positioned to keep employees local and avoid an exodus of skilled workers to Australia’s metropolitan centres.

“Regional airports need skilled workers to stay operational and were facing the very real risk of losing people from the regions if they couldn’t afford to keep them on,” Bourke said. “The wage subsidy gives regions the chance to keep workers in their communities so our smaller airports can get back to full operations as soon as possible.”

Bourke said Australia’s airports were continuing to support the passengers that continue to fly as they dealt with unprecedented changes to their operations.

“We know our industry has been hit particularly hard in recent months, but we remain committed to keeping our airports open during these extraordinary times to make sure we’re ready for recovery,” Bourke added.