UK and EU agree to protect flights in case of ‘no deal’ Brexit

Yesterday, the UK Department for Transport confirmed that flights to and from the European Union will continue unimpeded in the case of a “no deal” Brexit, agreeing to match a proposal from the EU to minimize flight disruptions.

In a statement, the agency said that the planned policy follows UK technical notices from October 2018, stating “the UK would adopt a pragmatic approach to securing flights.” The EU, meanwhile, is preparing to finalize its own aviation regulation protecting UK flights into Europe in the event of no deal. This policy is intended to continue through the end of March 2020. However, guidance offered on the draft regulation clarified that all-cargo operations from the UK to the EU, and on to third countries, would be authorized to continue unimpeded for up to five months following Brexit, with the number of flights capped at 2018 levels. A number of carriers operating as, or on behalf of major integrators, can now breathe a sigh of relief, at least for a few more months.

Still, the option of leaving the EU without a deal in place is not ideal for the UK, and Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said in a statement, “We expect these contingency measures will never be needed and our efforts remain focused on securing a deal from the EU.”