"The big cuts to international passenger flights, including the Qantas AND Virgin announcements this week, will dramatically reduce the amount of space for airfreight coming in to Australia," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of national employer organisation Ai Group, said today.
"Almost all of our airfreight space is under the feet of passengers. No passenger planes equals no freight space for often time critical supplies. Ai Group has joined with our international counterparts to call for Governments and companies to prioritize all available space for crucial medicines, medical equipment and supplies including vitally needed safety products such as gloves, masks and HAZMAT gear.
"We also need a pragmatic approach to dealing with the quarantining of air and sea crews. With freight supply lines already under significant pressure, additional disruptions to their business model caused by enforcing two-week quarantine periods to transient visitors with no contact with the broader community, will mean that Australia will potentially not have access to any air or sea freight. This could have implications for our nation's ability to source critical life saving equipment, food and other essential items," Mr Willox said.
