The union, which represents a variety of employees at airports from engineering to cabin crew, says the government should extend loans to the aviation industry, offer tax breaks, support routes and take a financial stake in airlines. 

This will preserve routes and retain jobs as demand plummets during the outbreak, Unite said. 

It cites Norwegian Air as an example of an airline which is struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, after the carrier temporarily laid off 50% of its staff and suspended 4,000 flights.

“The aviation industry is facing an unprecedented crisis and the government, must act immediately to preserve jobs and ensure the future of the aviation industry,” said Diana Holland, Unite’s assistant general secretary.

“The measures that Unite is calling for the government to introduce will help preserve the industry and ensure that it can survive the current crisis.

“The aviation industry is suffering a short-term emergency but without government support the infrastructure to return the industry to normal once the coronavirus crisis has passed will simply not exist.”