Aviation View | Volume 1, Issue 3

238 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 development opportunities. Our sector’s top issue currently is the fight to recover from ongoing impacts of the pandemic. Australia’s aviation industry was hit first, hit hard, and will be one of the last to recover, with airports collectively losing $320 million dollars of a revenue a month during the peak of COVID-19. More than 75% of the workforce lost their job, were put on reduced hours, or were moved to another sector. Once Australia’s current Delta outbreak gets under control and vaccination levels increase, our advocacy efforts will shift to working with our government, so that we can slowly and safely reopen Australia’s international border and kick start the domestic tourism economy. 3. What does the landscape look like for the aviation industry over the coming decade, and how important is commercial, international, and general aviation to the economy of Australia? How will the Australian Airports Association continue to be a viable voice for the industry? Domestic passenger numbers at airports in May 2021 were sitting in their strongest position since the pandemic began; 70% of pre-COVID levels. The outbreak of the virus’s Delta variant across Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide in June and July has taken the airport sector back to square one, with domestic passenger numbers at our major airports dropping to just 47%. This sharp decline was felt in a matter of weeks and shows the fragility of recovery in our sector. While a strong domestic tourism market is important, it will never fill the gap of international visitors. The fact remains that overseas tourists spend three times more than domestic travellers, and the reality is, until international borders reopen, Australia will continue to lose $250 million dollars from the economy every day. The Australian Government has recently proposed a four-phase plan to slowly and safely