Bristol is leading calls for the government to urgently support the aviation industry after warning job cuts in the sector would affect thousands of people across the region.
In a letter sent today to the Secretary of State, supported and co-signed by Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham and Belfast city councils, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees calls for direct government intervention for aircraft manufacturers and regional airports that are suffering from the impact of Covid-19.
The action comes after Airbus announced it will reduce its global workforce by 15,000 putting the livelihoods of 3,000 people currently employed at its site in Filton, Bristol, at risk.
This is alongside new data from the New Economic Foundation which warned that 70,000 aviation jobs in the wider industry are at immediate risk.
Mayor Rees, and the city representatives, have called for the government to work with the sector and employee unions to bring about a job retention scheme, alongside a raft of immediate, medium and long term support for the aviation and aerospace sector.
Mayor Rees said: “Both Airbus and Bristol airport play key roles in our city and should be given strategic support to play a crucial role in the economic recovery journey we need, post lockdown, including a job retention scheme.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the immediate prospects for the aerospace and aviation industry. Without direct intervention from the government there are potentially devastating consequences for aircraft manufacturers and regional airports, both major employers in the UK.”
