Thread by @StayGroundedNet

Today, more than 250 organisations from 25 countries published an open letter directed to governments, urging them to resist any #aviation lobby attempts to rush into unfair #bailouts of the industry. #SavePeopleNotPlanes

Read our press release: stay-grounded.org/250-organisati…

Governments must use this moment to embed social and environmental conditions, with proper protection for workers and a planned transition towards climate-just mobility.
Individuals can express their support for these demands by signing a petition: change.org/SavePeopleNotP…

For decades, the aviation industry has avoided contributing meaningfully to global climate goals and resisted the merest suggestion of taxes on fuel or tickets. Now, airlines, airports and manufacturers are demanding huge and unconditional taxpayer-backed bailouts.

We cannot let the aviation industry get away with privatising profits in the good times, and expect the public to pay for its losses in the bad times.

Governments must:
1) bail out workers, not shareholders and executives
2) transform the transport sector in a climate-friendly way shift employment into decent climate jobs
3) end aviation’s tax exemptions, implement kerosene taxes & progressive levies on frequent flying

The airline industry has made a fortune over the past decades, with higher growth rates than most other economic sectors – what led to soaring emissions. Aviation is already responsible for 5-8% of climate heating worldwide, when the climate impacts add. to the CO2 are included.

Tahir Latif from @pcs_union: "The collapse of the aviation industry has left workers feeling vulnerable and insecure about their future. PCS and other trade unions are demanding that financial, labour and health protections are directed to aid workers."

Tahir Latif from @pcs_union: "We demand (...) right now the task of planning the just transition of workers to jobs geared toward dealing the impact of transport, particularly aviation, on climate change."

.@pmunoznieto, @ecologistas: "While we are rightly focused on (...) #Covid19, our governments have a choice: they can hand taxpayers’ money to corporations unconditionally, or they can seize the opportunity to start building an economy which doesn’t harm people or the planet”.

.@crisortunity, @_wearepossible: "Rather than bail out airlines to continue with business as usual, we now have a chance to ensure that they change for the better. In return for government support, airlines must protect their workers, and protect the climate."

👁 @TahirImran @MartinRivers @kcreedy @GwynTopham @wturvill @Claire_Bushey @nikasgari @TanyaPowley @peggyhollinger @joshposaner @alisterdoyle @bberwyn @HirokoTabuchi @Chemnipot @julianrush @KarlMathiesen @LaurenceCaramel @marlowehood @ArthurNeslen @john_vidal @StephenLeahy