It’s official, the UK has triggered Article 50, which begins the two-year process of withdrawal from the European Union. We, and many others, have covered this subject in detail over the past nine months [UK Government Prepares for Brexit Negotiations] and no matter which magazine outlet or company white paper you read, the truth is that air travel will be severely impacted if no deal is reached. As Theresa May says in her letter to Donald Tusk: “The task before us is momentous but it should not be beyond us.” A momentous and arduous task indeed, especially if the air industry is forced to fall back on securing individual bilateral deals with the UK. A very real problem is the lack of experienced negotiators for these sorts of high-level trade talks. The lobbyists are pounding down the doors of Parliament with their notions of the right way for aviation but maybe energies are better directed ensuring/assisting the government with hiring and educating the UK representatives that will be negotiating for these deals. The UK cannot afford for aviation to be ignored – it is the lifeblood of industry and must take a centre stage during the next two years of debate.
UK triggers Article 50
