Coronavirus: Don't bail out airlines, say climate campaigners

More than 250 trades unions and environment groups have signed an open letter opposing plans for bailing out the aviation industry. The letter to governments demands that any bailouts lead to better labour conditions and a cut in emissions. They say aviation should make changes already evident in other sectors amid the coronavirus lockdown. Thanks to a long-standing treaty, international aviation has largely been able to make its own rules. The campaigners say this must change now that firms are asking for new favours from governments. Their informal group is called “Stay Grounded”. Its spokesperson Magdalena Heuwieser said: “For decades the aviation industry has avoided contributing meaningfully to global climate goals and resisted the merest suggestion of taxes on fuel or tickets... We cannot let the aviation industry get away with privatising profits in the good times, and expect the public to pay for its losses in the bad times.” IATA has conducted what it calls an “aggressive” global campaign aimed at persuading governments to introduce measures softening the effect of the virus emergency. It’s asking for the immediate reduction of all charges and taxes; deferral of any planned increases in charges and taxes for 6-12 months; and the creation of funds to help airlines restart or maintain routes. It says without such measures, many airlines will go bankrupt – leading to the loss of routes and damage to the economy, as well as thousands of job losses. Story has more.<br/>