The European Union and the UK must prepare for the possible impact on their airports of a Brexit without a deal, the European airports trade association has warned.

The Airports Council International (ACI) Europe insists that the adequate preparations for a no-deal Brexit are “a matter of urgency” for the EU27 and the UK.

Its warning is outlined in a letter to the UK Secretary on Brexit David Davis, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Karen Dee, CEO of the Airport Operators Association. The letter has been obtained and cited by Politico.EU.

In the letter, Olivier Jankovec, director general of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, expresses concern over the seeming lack of progress on aviation-related issues in the Brexit talks

“It is now becoming urgent to obtain clarification on the rules that will apply to allow the aviation industry to prepare and anticipate the impact of a no-deal scenario,” he writes.

Jankovec emphasizes that current levels of aviation connectivity in the EU 28 are possible because of the EU’s single aviation market.

“Anything more restrictive than the current Single Aviation Market regime will come at a cost — there is just no winning alternative,” he argues.

Jankovec’s letter makes it clear that a similar request for contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit has also been communicated to the Brexit task force of the European Commission led by the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

The head of ACI Europe asks the British authorities on clarification as to how a no-deal Brexit would affect market access and airline ownership and control.

The European Commission has warned previously that most flights between the UK and the EU will cease in the event of a no-deal scenario.

In that case, certificates issued by British and EU airlines as well as EU-issued licenses for UK airlines would not be valid any more.

Jankovec writes that while Brexit negotiators have stipulated that “essential air connectivity” will be preserved between the EU and the UK, the meaning of the phrase remains unclear.

With Jankovec’s letter, ACI Europe has in essence joined the likes of Airbus, BMW, Siemens, and Jaguar Land Rover, which have declared their worries over the ramifications that Brexit, and especially the possibility of a no-deal scenario, might have for their business.

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