UK outlines post-Brexit aviation priorities
The UK government is seeking a fully liberalised air transport agreement with the EU post-Brexit, as well as continued participation in EASA and co-operation with the European bloc in air traffic management.
In a white paper published today, the government says it plans to "explore options" with its European counterparts for maintaining reciprocal liberalised access to one another's aviation markets through a new air transport agreement.
This, the government says, would permit UK and EU carriers to operate air services "to, from and within" the territory of both the UK and the EU on an "equal basis".
The government foresee that this could be supported through an approach to ownership and control that "avoids introducing additional barriers to businesses".
There is, it argues, precedent for such an agreement with the EU, pointing to the air services agreement in force with Canada which provides "liberalised access subject to a sufficiently open bilateral approach to ownership and control".
The UK will also seek "close co-operation" on air traffic management with EU institutions to maintain "interoperability", and seek to reduce journey times and the costs and emissions resulting from air transport.
"In addition, the UK will continue close collaboration on aviation security, so that the UK and the EU can continue to address evolving shared threats in the most effective way," it says.
The government reiterates its position that it will still participate in the European Aviation Safety Agency – "albeit without voting rights" – which it says will "involve making an appropriate financial contribution".
Continued participation in EASA, the government says, will ensure that manufacturers only need to undergo one series of tests in either market, This, it adds, will support "collective work on aviation safety, reducing regulatory barriers for business and ensuring continued standards of high safety".
The government says it will seek to maintain the UK's and the EU's capabilities on analysis of passenger name records, including on intra-EU flights, based on the EU's PNR directive and its accompanying safeguards and rules. FG