The Recover Irish Aviation campaign has issued a video calling on the Government to begin a phased re-opening of air travel starting in the late spring.

The campaign video backs proposals recently put to transport minister Eamon Ryan by the National Civil Aviation Development Forum, which is made up of industry leaders including the chief executives of Ryanair and Aer Lingus.

Fórsa’s national executive recently gave €25,000 to the campaign, which is supported by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association.

Recover Irish Aviation, which wants to secure a package of supports to address the financial damage that the Covid crisis has inflicted upon the industry, is also calling on Fórsa members to sign its petition, which is available HERE.

Fórsa represents around 5,000 workers in airlines, airports, air navigation bases, aviation regulatory bodies, and air traffic control.

The union has warned that thousands of jobs dependent on aviation could be lost permanently unless the Government acts to support the sector though a second summer of inactivity caused by Covid-related travel restrictions, most recently at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications Networks in February.

Fórsa’s head of services and enterprises Ashley Connolly said the aviation industry will be vital to Ireland’s economic recovery, which itself will need to recover from the devastating effects of public health protection measures.

“As the vaccination program is rolled out and we finally emerge from the awful effects of this pandemic it should be possible to devise a carefully phased plan for a better future,” she said.