US offers UK worse ‘Open Skies’ deal after Brexit

The US has offered the UK a more limited “Open Skies” aviation deal after Brexit than it has as a member of the EU, but participants expressed confidence that the lucrative transatlantic market would continue unimpeded. The main stumbling block in the negotiations is that the US is using its standard template for aviation agreements, which has less generous terms than its deal with the EU, according to people familiar with the matter. Those terms could affect transatlantic flights operated by companies such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. In spite of the potential hang-up, A4A doesn’t see any major hurdles to reaching an Open Skies agreement with the UK and believes it can be finalised soon. “For the airline industry, discussions with the UK are making significant progress,” Sean Kennedy, an A4A VP, said. <br/>