The United Firefighters Union says a strike threatening to cripple airports next week could be averted if more staff are employed and a resolution reached.

Aviation firefighters will strike for four hour on Friday 9 December between 6am-10am, over staffing shortages amid an ongoing dispute with Air Services Australia.

The industrial action could cause airlines to ground flights.

UFU aviation secretary Wes Garrett told Neil Breen crew numbers in Brisbane Airport have significant dropped over the years.

“Public safety comes first, that’s out bread and butter .. we take what we do very seriously,” he said.

“We know there is going to be some inconvenience here, but the safety issues at stake we really need the public to focus on the fact that if there is a major incident in this country, there’s an expectation … that there is going to be an adequate and fully resourced response by aviation rescue firefighters to help people who are not able to self-evacuate.

“It’s simply not acceptable we are facing this sort of situation in a first-world country.”

They are still hopeful of a resolution before the strike action.

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