As Brexit Approaches, England Makes Plans for Airlines

As issues surrounding Brexit continue to surface in Europe, officials in England announced Monday it will continue to allow European Union-based airlines to fly in and out of the country even if it leaves the union without a deal.

According to airlines-fly-no-deal-brexit-n912626″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Reuters.com, government officials in Britain said they want to continue supporting the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), but the lack of a Brexit deal could leave airline employees without pilot and safety licenses issued by the United Kingdom.

English representatives are working on a plan for airlines ahead of the scheduled departure date of March 29, 2019, including developing deals between the U.K, the E.U., and individual countries.

“In this scenario, the U.K. would envisage granting permission to E.U. airlines to continue to operate,” the English government said in a letter released Monday. “We would expect E.U. countries to reciprocate in turn.”

If the no-deal scenario comes to fruition, U.K. officials said it would retain E.U. legislation and enforce the rules with its own aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA). This includes ensuring all pilots licenses are compatible throughout Europe.

England would follow the E.U. regulations for two years following Brexit before needing to replace them with CAA versions. The nation said it hopes the E.U. will reciprocate the action to make the transition smoother.