EU could ban cargo from 37 airlines after Brexit

37 airlines could be banned from shipping cargo to the EU after the 29th March 2019 Brexit deadline, because security clearance was granted to them by the UK.

ACC3 designation is required for any companies that want to ship cargo to the EU from “Third Country Airports”. This security clearance, which is granted to companies which meet security requirements for cargo handling, has been provided by the UK in its capacity as an EU member, but will expire if no deal is reached.

On 24th September, the UK government published guidance on “Aviation security if there’s no Brexit deal”, in which it said of ACC3: “The EU has set out that all security designations of carriers from third countries previously granted by the UK will be treated as expiring on the UK’s exit from the EU.

“In addition to the 37 carriers that the UK provides ACC3 designation to, the UK is also the responsible EU Member State for a significant proportion of the screening entities in the supply chains which support those carriers.”

Credit: Chris Lawton

The report continued: “The EU has not yet set out a mechanism for these designations to be reissued by EU Member States. Without such a mechanism those carriers from non-EU countries will not be able to carry cargo into the EU after the UK leaves the EU.”

In another report, “Flights to and from the UK if there’s no Brexit deal”, the government said: “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.

“This would mean that airlines operating between the UK and the EU would need to seek individual permissions to operate. EU-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate wholly within the UK (for example from Heathrow to Edinbugh) and UK-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate intra-EU air services (for example from Milan to Paris).”

The report notes, “In this scenario the UK would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate. We would expect EU countries to reciprocate in turn.”

The EU has previously indicated that a “bare bones” agreement would be desirable in the event of no Brexit deal.

This follows news of potentially damaging customs delays.

Source: GOV.UK