​IATA calls for Brexit backstop to avoid air connectivity 'chaos'

The UK and the EU must take urgent action to plan for the continuation of air services in the event of a "no deal" Brexit, according to IATA. "A backstop contingency plan to keep planes flying after March must be published, and quickly," says IATA DG Alexandre de Juniac on 25 October, referring to the UK’s likely end-March departure from the bloc. Even in the "best-case scenario", where a Brexit transition phase is agreed for the period after March 2019, "a high degree of uncertainty" and "risk" to air services remains, IATA says. "The EU and UK have a responsibility to millions of their citizens who depend on reliable air transportation," states de Juniac. "The goal should be a comprehensive air services agreement that does not step backwards from the connectivity existing today." Regarding a no-deal scenario, IATA cites the uninterrupted continuation of air connectivity, the safety and security regulatory framework, and the policies and processes needed for efficient border management as three key areas where it says insufficient steps have been taken. "These are the most critical areas because there are no fallback agreements such as the WTO framework available in a 'no-deal' Brexit scenario," suggests de Juniac. He continues: "Without any contingency planning being made transparent to the industry, the risks of not addressing these issues could mean chaos for travellers and interrupted supply chains. With less than six months to go, we have little more certainty than we did in June 2016." Story has more detail.<br/>