The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) issued an urgent call for national authorities to eliminate administrative barriers for operations between the UK and European Union states, saying this would benefit all involved. Under the framework of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK government permitted EU operators to exercise Third and Fourth Freedom rights, allowing flights to and from the UK. However, UK operators are finding that those freedoms are not being reciprocated by a number of EU countries.

Meanwhile, the Block Permit Scheme that the UK has put into place is time-limited and placed on the condition of reciprocity, EBAA said, adding it fears that if no further cooperation and bilateral agreements follow shortly, “business  aviation operators flying under the new Third Country Operator status will be heavily hampered in their ability to perform last-minute flights from the UK to the EU.”

“Given the amount of work invested by all parties involved in Brexit, it is unacceptable that industry and society alike have to operate with uncertainty for the future,” said EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan. “All national authorities should cooperate for the benefit of all.”

A lack of cooperation would be particularly detrimental given the unprecedented challenges the industry already is facing with the Covid-19 crises, the association further stated.