Australian airports seek funding ahead of international borders reopening

Airport operators have warned they urgently require funds after JobKeeper ends to be able to resume international travel when borders open.

Airport operators are urgently seeking more than half a billion dollars in support after JobKeeper ends amid fears the sector will not be ready for international travel to resume.

Australia’s peak aviation bodies have warned of an imminent “mass exodus” of highly skilled pilots and aircrew, which could impede the country’s ability to restart normal travel once restrictions ease.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the sector’s post-JobKeeper funding proposal includes $78 million to retain and recertify aircrew, $5m for retraining of security screeners and airport support staff, and $500m for an aviation sector-specific wage subsidy to retain workers with the highest skills after March.

The Sydney International Airport is currently empty and many staff must be retrained before borders reopen. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Currently it is costing Australia’s airports about $4m a day just to keep the lights on, as they fork out huge amounts for government-mandated security screening at international airports, a cost normally passed onto passengers.

Australian Airports Association chief executive James Goodwin said the sector had “lost” more than 34,000 qualified personnel due to COVID-19, many of whom have been forced to move into other parts of the country.

“With government support due to end in March, the aviation industry is facing an exodus of highly-skilled and experienced workers putting the sector’s ongoing recovery and ability to scale up capacity at risk as the demand for travel increases,” he said.

The small number of Australians arriving from overseas does not cover the airports’ costs. Picture: Gaye Gerard/ Daily Telegraph

Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chief executive Alison Roberts said closed international borders and the “stop-start nature” of the domestic borders meant “more support” was now needed.

“The lack of a consistent, national approach to domestic borders has left Australia’s domestic aviation sector recovery severely lagging other nations with some of our regional neighbours including New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and China are all operating at close to or above 100 per cent of their 2019 domestic capacity,” she said.

Regional Aviation Association of Australia chief executive Steve Campbell said investment in training aviation workers would “safeguard” the government’s existing spend on the recovery.

“An abundance of highly trained aviation workers is critical to ensuring regional and remote communities across Australia have continued access to essential air services,” he said.

“In many cases, these services are the only way regional communities can continue to access essential medical, educational and financial services.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic Australia’s major airlines have laid off a combined 11,500 workers, while about 25 per cent of all airport workers have lost their jobs.