Today is another very tough day for the aviation industry, after a very long and difficult few months, especially for Victorians.
I am saddened to hear of today’s job losses announced by Virgin Australia and our first thoughts are with all Virgin employees, as well as their families and those businesses relying on them for their livelihoods.
The Australian Government acknowledges Virgin’s plan is an important step towards a sustainable, competitive aviation industry and we welcome its continued commitment to regional and charter flying, recognising the importance of maintaining connections for those communities.
We are living through a one-in-100-year event – the biggest challenge the aviation industry has ever faced.
The Australian Government has and will continue to support the industry through our various initiatives, which to date have seen more than $1.3 billion committed to maintaining operations across the sector and supporting jobs.
This investment comes on top of the recently extended JobKeeper package, which continues to be available to Virgin employees at this time.
While we look forward to a strong domestic recovery in the aviation industry, it will be some time before the industry can bounce back to pre-COVID levels of activity.
We understand airlines have needed to make structural adjustments to ensure they can survive and ultimately thrive in the long-term.
The Australian Government remains confident the current market-led solution will see Virgin Australia emerge in the best position possible.
We continue to do everything we can to ensure our strong and competitive aviation industry is maintained through COVID-19, because we know Australia’s economy recovers relies upon it.
