AS fear-filled shock waves of the terror in America still reverberate around the world, one of the linchpins of East Lancashire's economy - its aerospace industry - was steeling itself today for the impact of a global slump in aviation in the wake of the attacks.

Devastating blows have already been felt by US airlines as revenues plunge and the world's biggest planemaker, Boeing, has announced plans to axe more than 30,000 jobs.

And, now, as British airlines also shake-out thousands of jobs, the terror-driven chill wind of downturn threatens hundreds of companies in Lancashire where 50,000 people work for firms, large and small, serving aerospace - the majority of them in engineering companies in our region.

This grim development comes when firms were already braced for a world recession. But a heightened impact on the North West's aerospace industry triggered by the terror attacks' collapse of airline business worldwide and, inevitably, on orders for aircraft could have a crippling effect on our region's economy.

And this is not just because aerospace is a major employer. Equally important, it is a giant receptacle of skills and state-of-the-art technology that are the collateral that has not only placed East Lancashire companies among world leaders in aerospace, but is also the thrust for its future.

For them to be shrunken, scattered or lost would jeopardise East Lancashire's economic future.

What can be done?

It may be that the plunge of civil aviation may be offset to some extent by an upturn in military aviation as a war on terror is waged by the West. But here and now the government ought to be pledging firm support for British aerospace firms.

For just as the Bush administration is pledging a multi-billion dollar emergency package for devastated US airlines, our own government is coming under pressure to aid the UK's and the EU is being called on to aid the continent's airlines. But if support is to be forthcoming for the businesses that fly planes, so, too, should those which make them be helped through any emergency - not just to help them through the duration of the crisis, but also to ensure that they are there to play their crucial role in securing our region's future.