The International Air Transport Association (Iata) yesterday urged the UK government to shore up international air connectivity by achieving early clarity on post-Brexit issues.
The association said that the basis of international aviation was bilateral air service agreements which would be up in the air once the UK left the European Union (EU).
“When the UK leaves the European Single Market it will also leave the European Common Aviation Area, and when it breaks from the EU all traffic rights to the rest of the world associated with Europe will also be thrown into question,” said Iata director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.
He noted that there were no alternatives to a negotiated agreement as there was no World Trade Organisation agreement to fall back on.
While Brexit has a deadline of March 2019, De Juniac pointed out that the aviation deadline would be much earlier.
“At a minimum, the flight schedules and seat and cargo inventories must be available at least six months in advance,” he said. “So that puts the airlines’ deadline at October 2018 – just 11 months from now.”
De Juniac urged action across a range of issues including not only air service agreements but also finding staff, systems and process solutions for a potential ballooning of customs transactions.
