Following the publication by the European Commission of the aviation contingency measures, Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI Europe, and Karen Dee, Chief Executive, Airport Operators Association, issued the following joint statement welcoming the measures.
“The certainty provided by the European Commission’s proposals on aviation connectivity is welcome and we urge the UK Government to publish their contingency measures to provide the industry with confidence for a potential no-deal scenario.
“However, it is exceptionally concerning that UK citizens could be subject to a ban on non-essential travel to EU member states just as the UK’s test-and-release system comes into force. This would further damage a sector battling the devastating impacts of the pandemic and hold back the wider economic recovery.
“The UK Government, EU and EU member states must work together to ensure that safe travel can continue and that our vital aviation sector can start to recover from the brutal impacts of Covid-19.”
EC Contingency Measures
The European Commission has put forward four contingency measures to mitigate some of the significant disruptions that will occur on 1 January 2021 in case a deal with the UK is not yet in place:
- Basic air connectivity: A proposal for a Regulation to ensure the provision of certain air services between the UK and the EU for six months, provided the UK ensures the same.
- Aviation safety: A proposal for a Regulation ensuring that various safety certificates for products can continue to be used in EU aircraft without disruption, thereby avoiding the grounding of EU aircraft.
- Basic road connectivity: A proposal for a Regulation covering basic connectivity with regard to both road freight and road passenger transport for six months, provided the UK assures the same to EU hauliers.
- Fisheries: A proposal for a Regulation to create the appropriate legal framework until 31 December 2021, or until a fisheries agreement with the UK has been concluded – whichever date is earlier – for continued reciprocal access by EU and UK vessels to each other’s waters after 31 December 2020. In order to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries and in light of the importance of fisheries for the economic livelihood of many communities, it is necessary to facilitate the procedures of authorisation of fishing vessels.
