UK, EU Airlines To Be Obliged To Seek Flight Permits In Case Of No-Deal Brexit - Gov't

The UK and EU air carriers will lose their automatic right to operate on each other's territory and will need individual permissions if the two sides fail to reach a Brexit deal before the March 2019 deadline, the UK government said on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) The UK and EU air carriers will lose their automatic right to operate on each other's territory and will need individual permissions if the two sides fail to reach a Brexit deal before the March 2019 deadline, the UK government said on Monday.

"If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no agreement in place, UK and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission," the government said in a press release, specifying that the EU-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate between UK cities and the UK-based airlines would not be able to deliver intra-EU air services.

The EU-licensed airlines will have to obtain a foreign carrier permit and a UK safety authorization, while UK-licensed carriers will require permission from the national authorities of the states to which they operate and a EU safety authorization, the government added.

"In [the no-deal] scenario the UK would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate. We would expect EU countries to reciprocate in turn. It would not be in the interest of any EU country or the UK to restrict the choice of destinations that could be served, though, if such permissions are not granted, there could be disruption to some flights," the government said.

The United Kingdom is expected to leave the European Union in March next year, with the parties still facing a number of unresolved issues over post-Brexit arrangements. The no-deal scenario remains possible, as London and Brussels disagree on several crucial points, including the customs regulations and the Irish border.