Grayling’s plan for 27 separate pacts to protect f lights if there’s No Deal

BRITAIN is trying to negotiate aviation deals with individual EU countries to ensure planes continue to fly in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will write to his opposite numbers in the 27 member states, seeking to secure agreements.

The move, which attempts to circumvent the European Commission, will anger Brussels officials.

The European Union is responsible for aviation laws across the continent, but has resisted efforts by the UK to draw up contingency plans if there is no agreement.

Mr Grayling will urge European transport ministers to be practical and prepare for the talks collapsing. It comes ahead of the publication next week of another tranche of ‘no deal’ papers, including those covering aviation. The papers will accept there is a theoretical possibility UK planes will not be able to take off and land on the continent after March 29 next year.

Flights from Europe would also be blocked from landing in the UK unless a new agreement is made to replace the single market for aviation.

But ministers have dismissed the idea that European air traffic will stop if there is no deal. They have already negotiated a raft of deals with non-EU countries to ensure flights can continue to those countries after Brexit. A UK agreement with the US and Canada, to replace the EU-US Open Skies agreement, is expected to be reached imminently.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘Aviation is absolutely crucial to the UK’s economy and we are committed to getting the best deal possible for the UK. We will work closely with the international aviation community to ensure that this global industry continues to be a major success story for the UK economy.’

It came as a top police officer warned that criminal investigations which require crossborder co- operation could be dropped if Britain leaves the EU without a deal.

Sir Craig Mackey, Deputy Commissioner of Scotland Yard, warned that the UK will potentially be less secure and investigations – including terrorism cases – will be hampered in the event of a no deal.

He said inquiries which require co-operation with European forces will be ‘slower’ and some may be dropped if officers lose access to foreign databases and alerts, adding: ‘I suspect the reality is that some investigations will not progress and it will be far more difficult to progress some investigations.’