BY BILL MASON

BRISBANE — The Australian Services Union (ASU) has called on the Queensland Labor government to make state subsidies for airline companies taking over the routes of collapsed regional airline Flight West conditional on guaranteed jobs for sacked Flight West staff.

Flight West went into voluntary liquidation on June 19, resulting in 450 employees being laid off without warning. Air services to many Queensland regional towns ceased and travellers were left stranded.

Last financial year, Flight West received a $3.86 million in subsidies from the Labor state government to operate services to some western Queensland destinations.

The ASU said it would take up to two months for former Flight West workers to access up to $6 million in entitlements, which include up to nine weeks redundancy payments.

Flight West's owner was involved with the sudden liquidation of a small airline company in Papua New Guinea several years ago.

The collapse of Flight West follows the demise of Impulse Airlines a couple of months ago. A massive restructuring of the Australian airline industry is under way. There is a severe threat to many jobs in the industry.

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