EU sends stark warning to airlines on post-Brexit flying

British airlines will lose all flying rights to the EU if there is no transition agreement after Brexit, the EU executive said Tuesday, a stark reminder of the risks facing the aviation sector if there is no deal. In a notice to all airlines, the EC said UK air carriers would no longer enjoy traffic rights under any air transport agreement to which the EU is a party, meaning they would no longer have the right to fly to the EU and between its member states. They would also lose flying rights under agreements between the EU and third countries, such as the US-EU Open Skies agreement. Airlines based in the EU have the right to fly to, from and within any country in the bloc thanks to the single aviation market created in the 1990s, but Britain now has less than two years to renegotiate access or come up with an alternative system. British carriers include easyJet, British Airways, Flybe, Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic. EasyJet has already moved to establish a new airline in Austria to protect its flying rights within the EU once Britain leaves the bloc. Airlines have been vocal about the risks posed by the no-deal scenario and have urged London and Brussels to quickly provide certainty for the industry. Without a deal airlines would have to rely on a decades-old traffic rights accord between the UK and EU states. These are typically more restrictive and do not allow airlines to fly within member states.<br/>