Amid little progress on aviation deal between the UK and Europe
According to a report, Irish carrier Ryanair is seeking a licence from British regulators to safeguard against a hard Brexit amid little apparent progress on a new aviation deal between the UK and Europe.
Flying rights are currently governed by EU-wide deals and because it is not part of the WTO, the aviation sector has no natural fallback arrangement to protect flights if there is no deal between Britain and the EU.
Media sources have learnt that the budget airline has tabled an application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shortly before Christmas for a UK Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), which could be required for domestic operations in the UK in the event of no deal Brexit.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary has previously said voters were “lied to” during the referendum campaign and has taken part in talks over the future of airlines after Brexit.
If the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accepts the application, this would enable Ryanar to continue running three domestic UK flights in the event of a no-deal situation.
Ryanair’s move follows a similar one by Wizz-Air in October. Concerns have been repeatedly raised in the airline industry over the possible negative impacts of Brexit.
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