UK airlines warn of job losses as they lose business to Brexit

British cargo, charter and leasing airlines say they are losing contracts and business to EU rivals after the Brexit deal failed to ensure a promised level playing field. The carriers say they are severely disadvantaged under the new post-Brexit regime because the rules and practices Britain has unilaterally adopted allow greater freedom and flexibility for EU-owned airlines to fly in the UK than UK carriers have in Europe. Permits are now required for foreign carriers to fly ad hoc flights between the UK and mainland Europe, which EU airlines have been able to obtain faster than British rivals and therefore are winning more business. The impact is being felt by small UK airlines that provide back-up passenger services and cargo flights at short notice, with the firms involved warning that the Brexit discrepancies could put them out of business. At least five of the carriers – Titan Airways, Jota Aviation, Loganair, CargoLogicAir and Air Tanker – are set to join forces with the planned launch of a campaign to save UK aviation jobs, which will demand reciprocal rights for UK airlines. Alistair Wilson, the managing director of Titan, said the detail of the deal meant UK carriers faced greater restrictions providing aircraft and crew for other airlines, known as wet-leasing. EU carriers can operate most wet-lease flights in the UK under the system, while UK operators say they are only able to do so now in exceptional circumstances in the EU. “This is an area of business many UK carriers and UK aviation jobs rely on,” Wilson said. “We lost a contract we had operated for the past 12 months requiring a UK-based aircraft and crew to fly cargo between the UK and Germany. The airline was forced to wet-lease from an EU carrier, even though the contract required UK-based aircraft, crew and engineers. This is EU law still presiding over business based in the UK.”<br/>