APEX/IFSA Encourages Suppliers to Contact Congress Regarding Financial Aid
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APEX and IFSA are encouraging airline vendors and suppliers to reach out to the US government today in a bid to secure financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, which so far appears to be allotted primarily to airlines.
As Congress prepares to pass legislation regarding the provision of financial support to airlines during the COVID-19 crisis, both the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) are encouraging members to contact their US senators and US representatives directly via phone today to stress the need for additional relief for airline suppliers and vendors.
The associations said the focus should be on calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, as well as their local senators. APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader explained, “This is a critical moment for APEX/IFSA members, as a nonprofit trade association’s ultimate strength rests in the hands of its members. Every call to every lawmaker in your area makes a huge difference – a call is a sign of personal action and initiative indicating accountability. We want to protect every member company and every member’s job as much as humanly possible in these unprecedented times.”
Should calling not be possible, APEX and IFSA have drawn up a template email that airline vendors and suppliers can use, which has already been distributed amongst members. They are urging members to circulate the template to colleagues in the hope that more people contacting Washington will increase the chances of success.
APEX and IFSA are already actively reaching out to the Trump Administration and Congressional Leadership themselves and asking the US government to assist airline suppliers and vendors with the distribution of their own letters, which list “airline caterers, food suppliers, systems manufacturers and installers, connectivity companies, and content distributors” as just some of the fields that may also require financial support.
The letter, signed by APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader, continues, “Without government support, thousands of jobs will be lost, and many suppliers will not survive to be in a position to support the industry’s recovery. Support of these suppliers, a somewhat hidden yet essential part of the airline industry, is needed immediately.”
It further requests that, “for every four dollars of support provided to airlines, an additional one dollar be provided to the critical suppliers to airlines,” in line with the figures initially suggested by APEX in an announcement on March 17. Recently, APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader also addressed US Congress regarding airline best practices during COVID-19.