The charity was set up earlier this year by Manchester airport head of airfield operations Chris Wild to support aviation sector workers who have fallen on hard times owing to the Covid crisis.

Its Run the Runways campaign will aim to make up for the many annual "runway runs" that have been cancelled this year due to the pandemic.

It will encourage people to raise funds through sponsorship by running the distance of one UK runway a day.

A full list will be announced in the coming weeks, and will range from the shortest in Land’s End (485 metres) to the longest at Heathrow (3,902 metres).

Supporters of Aviation Action will be encouraged to walk, jog or run one of the lengths a day, and encourage friends, family, and colleagues to join them in groups of six and under.

Runners will be encouraged to register for the virtual event at www.aviationaction.org/run and then collect donations through www.justgiving.com.

Entry costs £25, plus a small admin fee, and includes a commemorative t-shirt, membership to the Aviation Action Facebook community, and a finishers medal.

Aviation Action founder Wild said: "Running has some incredible benefits ranging from better sleep to helping with stress and anxiety.

"We wanted to create an event that could not only raise vital funds for Aviation Action, but also help people’s mental health in the last month of a very stressful year."

Aviation Action operates a peer support programme for those who need it, as well as access to professional mental health assistance, support for jobseekers with CV writing tips and interview preparation sessions, as well as online events on a variety of topics from finance advice to building up resilience.

More information is available from the Aviation Action JustGiving page.