EasyJet boss says special aviation deal between UK and EU can be worked out post-Brexit

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Sophie Dekkers dismissed concerns airspace would be a sticking point

Sophie Dekkers, the firm’s UK country director, has said she is optimistic about a bespoke deal being agreed in the upcoming negotiations to leave the EU. 

She dismissed concerns airspace would be a sticking point, claiming that an arrangement would be beneficial to both unions. 

She said: “The risk of reduced access is a technical problem, but I think it will be solved because it’s in the interest of both parties.

“There are a number of EU airlines that are lobbying from their side on it, so Air France, KLM and Lufthansa … it’s in their interest to have access to the UK market, too.”

Currently, operators can fly across the continent in a deregulated environment, which is likely to change once the UK officially leaves the superstate. 

But she urged airspace to be looked at as a separate entity, neither an export nor a import, and should be given special status. 

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EasyJet, a budget airline, is in the process of creating air operate certificates

She continued: “We would actually urge that aviation is looked at as a separate entity outside of the trade agreements because it’s in both parties’ interests.

“It’s not an import or export, it’s an enabler, so certainty we would emphasise that as an approach.”

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It’s in their interest to have access to the UK market

Sophie Dekkers

The aviation industry is a lucrative one, providing 220,000 jobs and pumping £12billion into the UK economy. 

EasyJet, a budget airline, is in the process of creating air operate certificates, which would allow it operate in UK and EU jurisdictions separately. 

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The aviation industry is a lucrative one, providing 220,000 jobs

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Ms Dekkers said: “But what that won’t enable is the UK-to-EU connectivity. 

“So there does need to be a bespoke agreement to establish that connection between the two … it’s not covered by the WTO (World Trade Organisation) so we don’t have a backup, a fall-back interest, really.”

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Currently, operators can fly across the continent in a deregulated environment

She delivered the optimistic outlook while speaking at the House of Lords Internal Market Sub-Committee on the future of services and trade post-Brexit. 

The move may go some way to allay fears that Brits may be required to have costly visas when traveling to the continent.