Adverse effect of COVID-19 worse than 9/11-Union

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) says the adverse effects of the current coronavirus across the world is worse than the September 9/11 in the United States 

The union at the weekend titled virus and labour issues in aviation, a call for dialogue signed its national president Comrade Ben Nnabue called for adequate measures to be taken to save the aviation industry worldwide 

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While commending the Federal Government who through the Central Bank of Nigeria, has announced an intervention fund of N1Tr. to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the union noted that aviation has been named among the beneficiaries and expressed hope that the sector will actually be given the lion share. 
“Adverse effects of the coronavirus on aviation far outstrips the impact of 911 for which aviation received quite substantial interventions all over the world. We further urge that the modalities for the application of this fund should be quick to be released in other for the benefits to begin to manifest as quickly as possible. 
In this regard, we are of the opinion that the positive handling of labour issues by the companies should be among the criteria to be used in accessing the fund”

NUATE explained that colossal losses arising from the state of affairs have created a very serious labour challenge as the airlines, especially the international carriers and the companies dependent on them count their losses saying that there was now a present danger that the workforce might take a hit as well. 

“The breakout and wild spread of coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on aviation globally. From high exposure to airline and airport personnel, through the near-total collapse of international travel, to the closure of some airports, it is very obvious that aviation has taken the hardest hit from this pandemic”

The union called on all aviation agencies to activate, or scale-up, their coronavirus response modes also calling for a mechanism that incorporated the entire airport activities nationwide led by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that the mechanism should in turn be integrated with the national response system.