In a stark message, industry body Airlines UK said the government's "prevarication" and "bean counting" had to stop.
"We're talking about the future of UK aviation - one of our world-class industries - and unless the government pulls itself together who knows what will be left of it once we get out of this mess," it added.
Airline bosses have been talking to ministers. Last week, senior figures in the industry were said to be "livid" that there were no emergency measures for the aviation sector in the budget, whereas most other sectors of the economy received billions of pounds of support.
The government said in a statement that it recognises the difficulties UK airlines are facing.
"We are engaging with the sector's leadership to support workers, businesses and passengers," it said.
"We have influenced the European Commission to relax flight slots and HMRC is ready to help all businesses, including airlines, and self-employed individuals, experiencing temporary financial difficulties due to coronavirus."
BBC - Coronavirus: 'Future of UK aviation' at risk, say airlines