Britain and US agree new post-Brexit open skies arrangement

Britain and the US have reached a deal on a new open skies aviation agreement after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019.

The agreement  will replace the existing EU aviation agreement with the US and guarantee that planes flying from the UK will have the same access to the US as they do now, supporting the £50bn trading relationship between the two countries.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling said the agreement was proof the UK "will continue to be a major player on the world stage after we leave the EU".

IAG boss Willie Walsh said the agreement was a "significant positive development".

"The agreement, which closely follows the model US open skies agreement, facilitates strong competition and is clearly pro-consumer. The US is a major destination for British businesses and tourists while the UK welcomes many American visitors to its shores”.

Britain is currently in advanced talks with Canada on a new bilateral air services arrangement, and is in ongoing discussions with Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, Morocco and Switzerland on reaching similar bilateral agreements.

Virgin Atlantic boss Craig Kreeger said: “We are thrilled that UK and US governments have reached an agreement which will enable our customers to continue travelling as normal between the UK and US post Brexit. 

"We will continue to work with governments and stakeholders across our network to ensure our customers can continue to travel seamlessly.”

The future of aviation between the UK and EU hangs somewhat in the balance. In the agreed political declaration on the future relationship, the UK and EU agreed to negotiate a “comprehensive air transport agreement” covering safety, security, air-traffic control, consumer protection and market rules for aviation companies.

At a grilling by the liaison committee this morning, Theresa May refused to confirm whether the UK would be able to remain a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Lilian Greenwood, chair of the Transport Select Committee pressed the Prime Minister on why the political declaration referred only to "close co-operation" between the two partners when the Civil Aviation Authority had recommended that the UK remain a full member of EASA after Brexit.

"Is it still your ambition to be a full member of EASA?" she asked.

May replied: "It continues to be our intention to argue for the closest possible relationship with EASA – that would be membership of EASA – in the interest of aviation safety."

But she added that the "legal form" that the relationship would take would have to be negotiated once the UK leaves the EU, prompting Greenwood to suggest this would leave Britain as a "rule taker".