IATA calls for urgent action on no-deal Brexit contingencies

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for urgent action from the UK and the EU for contingency plans in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

IATA has identified three critical requirements relating to air transport issues: uninterrupted air connectivity; a framework for regulating safety and security; and policies and processes for efficient border management.

But it is not clear whether there are contingency plans in place because there is a lack of transparency, according to the association.

“These are the most critical areas because there are no fallback agreements such as the WTO framework available in a ‘no-deal’ Brexit scenario,” said Alexandre de Juniac, General Director and CEO of IATA.

“Without any contingency planning being made transparent to the industry, the risks of not addressing these issues could mean chaos for travellers and interrupted supply chains. With less than six months to go, we have little more certainty than we did in June 2016.”

Credit: James Newcombe

IATA’s call for action follows a study it commissioned into the effects of a no-deal Brexit on airlines. Even with a transition period, it found, there is a high degree of uncertainty, while no deal would lead to significant disruption.

Last month, the UK government published reports on flights and aviation security in the event of a no-deal Brexit, stating that 37 airlines could lose the right to operate in the EU because they were given security clearance by the UK. It also stated that EU-licensed airlines would likely have to seek out individual permissions to operate in the UK.

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

It’s not much in the way of an actual plan, however.

Source: IATA