uk aviation
to the end of 2020, during which the UK will continue to be part of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) allowing the status quo in aviation to continue – although this only buys time to find a longer-term solution. Aviation groups have welcomed the “reassurance” that this implementation period brings to the industry. Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA), says: “The transition period provides the aviation industry and its passengers some certainty over air travel in the coming years. “Airports across the EU would like to see an agreement that matches as closely as possible today’s arrangements to maintain a competitive aviation market across Europe.” Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, adds: “We welcome that aviation is a priority in the negotiations and look forward to discussions on future market access beginning as soon as possible. We are confident there will be a deal that secures open and liberal aviation arrangements beyond 2020.”
How UK aviation will operate when the country leaves the EU has been one of the biggest questions since the referendum in 2016” While there a lot of positive noises from all sides about the post-Brexit aviation landscape, there will still be an anxious wait before long-term arrangements can be agreed and put into place.
Aviation examined
Another major plank in the government’s post-Brexit thinking about aviation is the new Future of UK Aviation document, which was published in April, and sets out “the longterm direction” of UK aviation up to and beyond 2050. This tackles all sorts of issues such as new UK border arrangements, compensation for delays and cancelled
flights, and even how to reduce drunken behaviour by passengers. The government says it has six key goals to the strategy: helping the aviation industry to work for its customers; ensuring a safe and secure way to travel; building a “global and connected UK”; encouraging competitive markets; supporting growth while tackling emissions; and developing innovation, technology and skills. Much of the 93-page document is fairly vague – the government promises to look at the impact of Air Passenger Duty (APD), for example, although it claims the aviation industry would be “relatively under-taxed” if APD was scrapped completely. At the same time, the industry is being invited to come up with ideas as to how the tax “could be reformed to support regional airports”. The government will also review whether a “single dominant carrier at airports could harm consumer interests in the future”, and cites British Airways’ position at Heathrow, where it operates 52% of slots, as well as the dominance of easyJet and Ryanair at
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