British pilots urge government to rescue airlines

LONDON - The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) has warned that UK airlines will be winding down this week and staff will be laid off before the Government support scheme is ready. Pilots suggest direct "state investment" for airlines to avoid a "collapse" of the industry in the UK.

The UK pilots union said the industry will "collapse while it is waiting for the dedicated support promised by the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Transport".

Balpa has been negotiating survival terms with all UK airlines, which are already in crisis due to the significant downturn in air travel, caused by public and state reactions to the spread of the coronavirus.

"Flybe collapsed when the promised support from the Government did not materialise and now every UK airline faces uncertainty over its future," Balpa General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said. "Aviation has been hit first and hardest. It`s disgraceful that the Government keeps promising to help but is still sitting on its hands while airlines are shutting down."

UK Airlines like British Airways, Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic are already cutting wages and jobs. "Unfortunately the rescue packages put together yesterday are not ready yet but airlines are in crisis now and need help immediatel," Strutton said. "State investment in UK airlines, as other countries are doing, is essential as a matter of urgency before it’s too late."