Hounslow Council's leader has called on the government for more help and support to communities near airports that have suffered as a result of restrictions on aviation during the pandemic.

The closure of travel corridors has dealt another massive blow to the local economy and jobs that rely on the aviation industry.

Council Leader Steve Curran reiterated his call for government intervention and support for the hundreds of thousands of people whose livelihoods have been affected.

Last year the council commissioned research by Oxford Economics which forecast that up to £1 billion could be wiped out of the Hounslow economy due to the downturn at Heathrow alone.

It predicted that more than 40,000 jobs are at risk and official figures from August reported that 40% of the borough's working population - 72,000 residents - were either unemployed or on furlough.

Oxford Economics puts the cost to the local economy across West London from reduced operations at Heathrow, at £4 billion.

The impact is expected to disproportionately impact Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups, as well as younger people.

The council has been campaigning throughout the pandemic for the voices of people in aviation communities to be heard.

In November, the council and the West London Alliance jointly hosted the inaugural Aviation Communities Summit which brought together leaders and aviation experts from across the country to raise the plight of communities and businesses which are reliant on aviation.

It called for the establishment of an Aviation Communities Fund to target support towards much-needed skills and re-employment initiatives, business support and investment in local infrastructure.

It was also resolved to establish an Aviation Communities Taskforce to carry out further research impact and develop proposals, and ensure the voice of impacted communities across the UK is heard.

Cllr Curran said: "Throughout the pandemic we have consistently highlighted the devastating plight of our communities following the decline of aviation activity.

"We understand the challenging times this sector faces and the reason for these new, necessary restrictions, but they only serve to further support our calls for extra support not just for airports or airlines, as was seen this weekend, but for the communities and people within them who work in this sector, and for whom the light at the end of the tunnel is not yet even flickering.

"Our research tells us that recovery in the aviation sector will lag behind that of other industries. It is why our call for an Aviation Communities Fund is not going away.

"We need to bring together a dedicated package of activity to support our communities now and in the future."