Fórsa members employed in the aviation sector have commenced a grassroots lobbying campaign aimed at securing greater State and political support for the industry, which has been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign, co-ordinated by the union’s services and enterprises division, has mobilised aviation workers in airlines, airports and other employments connected to the industry, to write to their local TDs seeking support and highlighting the very precarious circumstances in which the aviation industry is currently operating as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The aviation industry in Ireland employs almost 140,000 people working in airports, regulatory bodies, international air traffic support and airline operators. These jobs in turn, support thousands of jobs in our cities and regions.

The union has sought to emphasise that these are high quality jobs located throughout the country. The message to TDs, senators and councillors is that the crisis facing the industry today is destined to have an extremely negative effect on the Irish economy as a whole unless the industry receives urgent government support.

The Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation has issued a report stating that the Irish aviation sector has experienced a larger decline than anywhere else in Europe. The campaign by Fórsa members is urging Government to introduce the necessary support to ensure that Ireland’s aviation industry can withstand the current crisis and continue to play its crucial role in supporting the Irish economy.

Shannon

Illustrating the vulnerability of Ireland’s regional airports, Aer Lingus has put three of its Shannon-based transatlantic aircrafts out to tender to regional airports in the UK. Fórsa members in the Midwest region are contacting their local representatives to advise that, should Aer Lingus proceed with this plan, it could leave Shannon with just one US service next year, flown by American Airlines. This in turn has the potential to inflict substantial damage on the economy of the entire region.

Movement

Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said there are signs that the efforts of members are starting to resonate within the political system. “While the state has underwritten a significant portion of the wage bill since the commencement of travel restrictions, there was little to indicate that the political system had thought much about the implications for the country of an ongoing downturn in the industry.

“This week we’ve seen the Tánaiste and the Minister for Transport begin to consider aloud what the next steps might be.

“This strongly suggests that our members’ contact with their local representatives is working. We must continue in those efforts, as we all have a role to play in securing Ireland’s future connectivity through the aviation industry,” she said.

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