UK planes ‘could be grounded’ in no-deal Brexit

BRITISH AIRCRAFT “would not be allowed to fly” in the event of a no-deal Brexit unless new arrangements for commercial flights are introduced by March, a think-tank has said.

There is no fall-back plan for air traffic control rights under World Trade Organisation rules in the event a deal cannot be struck with Brussels, the Institute for Economic Affairs warned.

But the IEA stressed there are options available to the Government to put measures in place before March – and while it would “require flexibility on both sides”, there is an “overwhelming” mutual interest in protecting aviation from upheaval.

In the first of a series of “no deal fear checker” reports released today, it said the risk of flights being grounded was “conceivable, but still very unlikely”.

The report said leaving the EU’s Single Aviation Market (Sam) in March without a replacement arrangement would see most UK based airlines lose their operating licences for the 27 countries.

Sam currently covers the UK’s rights to the so-called “freedoms of the air”, which include overflights of countries without landing and operating internal flights in foreign countries.

The UK would also lose air traffic rights involving countries including the United States, Canada and Switzerland because they had been made through the EU.

In the report, author Julian Jessop, the IEA’s chief economist, wrote: “In summary, if there are no alternative arrangements in place, it would be as bad as the worst fears suggest: Planes would not be allowed to fly.”

However, the report said there were options open to the Government, including joining non-EU countries like Norway in the European Common Aviation area, although this would mean following EU rules and fudging Brexit “red lines”, or negotiating a free trade agreement for aviation which would give the UK more control over rules but lead to reduced access to the market.