THE government must protect aviation workers ‘before we lose those jobs for good’, Slough’s MP has demanded.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic paralysing air travel, airports and airlines have been hit the hardest and several thousand job losses have been announced over the last few months.

According to Sky News data, over 33,000 jobs in the aviation industry have been lost so far with British Airways taking the bulk of the figures by cutting 12,000 jobs on April 28.

Speaking in Parliament, Slough MP Tan Dhesi has urged the government to extend the furlough scheme – which is due to end in October – for aviation workers where UK employees receive 80 per cent of their current salary.

READ MORE: Slough could face housing shortfall of thousands

He also called for the government to find a ‘sector specific deal’ before airport and airline jobs ‘are lost for good’.

Mr Dhesi said: “Given the importance of the aviation sector and that it’s being particularly hard hit, the likes of myself have been calling for an extension of the furlough scheme and a sector specific deal.

“However, due to government inaction and procrastination, thousands of individuals within my Slough constituency are now being made redundant, or on the verge of being made redundant.”

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Anneliese Dodds added in Parliament no sector specific deal has been made yet nor has the government sat down with industry leaders to ‘work through the different scenarios’.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: how much is the fine for breaking Rule of Six?

She said: “We are not seeing the targeted wage support in aviation or indeed other industries critical for our economic future that we desperately need.”

A cross-party group of MPs lobbied to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak calling for an aviation specific furlough extension to last until March 2021 with the government paying 80 per cent of employees’ wages.