Airlines need roughly $600m in government support to keep air links open, airline group says

The Government needs to provide roughly $600m in additional support to airlines in order to keep air links to New Zealand open while the country’s borders remain closed, an airline group says. The Board of Airlines Representatives of New Zealand (Barnz) executive director Justin Tighe-Umbers, on behalf of airlines, said it was calling for an extension of aviation support packages from the Government following comments from PM Jacinda Ardern that the border was likely to remain closed until the latter part of 2021. In April the Government directed $600m to the aviation sector to support airlines and airports and protect supply chains. “Now it was time to see another similar sized support package set up fast,” Tighe-Umbers said. New Zealand was at “severe risk” of losing what few international air links it had left, he said. Before the pandemic there were 44 direct air connections to New Zealand. Now there were about a dozen, he said. International air travel was down by 95%, he said. “Our remaining air links simply cannot survive unsupported. The Government must act to preserve them.” Tighe-Umbers said the Government had been covering costs airlines must pay for border agency and air navigation services but that had now stopped. An air cargo support scheme was the only thing keeping many airlines flying here, he said, but that was due to finish at the end of March.<br/>