Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
05 April 2017 08:51
Abta has called for an urgent aviation deal in the Brexit talks
The UK could face a "damaging" drop in flights if an aviation deal can't be sorted quickly in the Brexit negotiations, a travel trade group has warned.
According to Abta, airlines will have no fall-back option if no aviation agreement can be reached. The situation will be "critical" if existing deals are not either replaced or retained, the body said.
EU agreements currently underpin all of the UK's airline routes to the US and European Union.
If no deal can be reached on aviation, airlines won't be able to fall back on World Trade Organisation rules, Abta said. Instead, it suggested: " There is no international fall-back option, such as World Trade Organisation rules, that exists for the aviation sector.
"A reduction in the number of routes would be hugely damaging for holidaymakers, business travellers and visitors to the UK."
Prior to the June 23 in-out referendum on the country's membership of the EU, the group had warned that holidays could become more expensive in the event of a leave vote.
Leaving aside things like travel insurance which they buy before they fly, it's thought Britons spend billions on holidays to EU countries each year. In fact, Abta suggests the annual total stands at £19 billion.
Speaking to the Press Association news agency, Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said he hopes that the tourism industry will be "very high" on the UK's list of priorities in the Brexit negotiations.
He added: "I honestly believe the Government know aviation and transport are one of the first areas they need to address. I'm sure there are lots of sectors who say 'we're the most important sector and we've got to be top of priorities', but for an island nation I really think the transport links are very important. Not just for tourism but for business and for cargo."
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
[more...]
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.
06 September 2018
Plastic trays at security desks harbour the highest numbers of viruses at airports, new research has discovered.
05 September 2018
Adults are being urged to take advantage of a new online tool to find out if they are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
04 September 2018
Child cancer patients regularly have to travel twice as far and pay out twice as much when getting treatment, new data shows.