The UK transport secretary Chris Grayling reassured that no aviation minster in Europe wishes for there to be interruptions in UK-EU aviation following the Brexit deadline next year.
Speaking this morning at the AOA’s annual conference in Westminster, London this morning, the UK MP stated that all countries in Europe wish for links between the UK and countries in the EU to be maintained and for there to be no interruption to operations following the deadline in March 2019.
Grayling stated that “everyone has the same interest” and that Brexit negotiations regarding the aviation industry are “well on their way”; the UK government, Grayling noted, wants to preserve a “open and liberal market for aviation”.
Grayling brushed off concerns that aircraft would be grounded following a no-deal Brexit situation next March. Grounding of aircraft is ‘theoretically’ possible, yet ‘highly unlikely’, he said.
Ultimately, the transport minster stated that there is “no way flights will stop” between the UK and the EU.
Although confident that there would be no significant disruption to UK-EU aviation following the Brexit deadline, the transport minster did not comment on if he will take responsibility should planes be grounded in the situation of a no-deal Brexit as “[he] was not the one opening talks”.
The shadow aviation minster, Karl Turner retorted that although the government’s discussions with the EU on aviation may be progressing, the agreement will fall through if there is not a comprehensive agreement with Europe following the UK’s withdrawal from the union.0
