The political declaration laying the groundwork for the
post-Brexit relationship between the EU and Britain calls for the two
political entities to maintain open competition in the commercial aviation
sector.
IATA, however, is concerned about the declaration's lack of
detail.
The 27 EU members of continental Europe agreed to the
declaration on Sunday. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is championing the
proposal, but its path to ratification in Great Britain will be complicated by
fierce opposition from both Brexit opponents and supporters.
The U.K. is slated to exit the EU on March 29.
Under current agreements, airlines from all 28 members of
the EU can fly freely in and out of the U.K. and within the EU's continental
member states. But IATA has warned of chaos if the terms of the post-Brexit
aviation landscape aren't clearly defined ahead of the breakup.
Already, the uncertainty means airlines are selling flights that
they can't be certain they'll be legally allowed to operate, IATA has said.
The 26-page political declaration contains two clauses
related to cooperation between the EU and U.K. on aviation.
A comprehensive air transport agreement should be written
that covers "market access and investment, aviation safety and security,
air traffic management, and provisions to ensure open and fair competition,
including appropriate and relevant consumer-protection requirements and social
standards," the declaration says.
The agreements should also "ensure passenger and cargo
air connectivity," the declaration says.
In an email Tuesday, IATA spokesman Perry Flint said that
the declaration, while good to see, lacks the specificity needed by airlines.
"We continue to urge the prioritization of aviation
issues so that airlines have the details needed to manage their business and
provide connectivity in the post-Brexit period," Flint said. "There
is a huge amount of work to do and there is no time to lose."