Brexit is unlikely to ground flights between the UK and EU, the CE of IAG has said. Willie Walsh said that such a move would bring the entire continent to a standstill. Walsh told the Commons Transport Committee: “The prospect of there being no flying between the UK and Europe, I don’t agree with at all. I think this would bring the whole of Europe to a standstill. The comments came after chancellor Philip Hammond had said it is “theoretically conceivable” that all flights between the EU and the UK could be suspended on the day Britain leaves the EU. He added: “I don’t think anybody seriously believes that that is where we will get to”. Walsh told MPs the airline industry would be able to cope with Brexit as it was used to dealing with new regulations and adapting quickly to changing situations. <br/>
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As new security measures took effect Thursday on international flights to the US, at least one airline got a months-long reprieve. Royal Jordanian tweeted Monday that it had an agreement with US authorities to implement the new measures in mid-January. The Department of Homeland Security announced the measures in June and gave airlines 4 months to adopt them by Thursday. The measures both seen and unseen by passengers are part of an effort to better detect explosives hidden in electronics and to thwart airport workers from smuggling bombs onto planes. But Royal Jordanian said that "US authorities granted all airlines the option to delay the implementation process up to 6 months," or 2 months longer than the announced 120-day implementation. <br/>
In a move that cuts one more link to long-defunct TWA, American Airlines will close its St. Louis pilot base in Sept 2018, affecting 180 pilots who live in the region. The pilots who live in St. Louis will either have to commute to other cities or relocate after the base closes, an American Airlines spokesman said Monday. The closing is prompted by an upgrade in aircraft, as McDonnell Douglas-made MD-80s are retired and replaced with Boeing-made 737-800 aircraft. American has 46 MD-80s in its system, which will be reduced to 26 by September. “We are also focused on simplifying hub/fleet operations by placing certain aircraft in certain stations to improve aircraft utilisation,” an American Airlines spokeswoman said. American operates 10 other pilot bases in the US. No other pilot bases are slated for closure. <br/>