Ireland-based budget airline Ryanair has warned the UK government that flights to and from Europe could stop for a period of time after Brexit.
The UK is set to leave the EU and its Open Skies agreement in March 2019. Ryanair said there was a "distinct possibility" of no flights to and from Europe if the UK fails to negotiate a bilateral aviation agreement with the EU.
Ryanair expects to carry 44mn passengers to and from British airports in 2017. The airline said that it has already shifted focus to Europe, having added no aircraft to its UK-based fleet this year.
"It is become worrying that the UK Government seems to have no plan B to maintain Britain's liberalised air links with Europe, in the absence of remaining in the Open Skies regime," Ryanair chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said. "Ryanair, like all airlines, plans its flights 12 months in advance, so there are just 12 months to go until we finalise our summer 2019 schedule, which could see deep cuts to our flights both to, from and within the UK from March 2019 onwards."
Moody's recently cut its passenger growth forecasts for 2017 and 2018 at most UK airports by 50pc compared with projections before the referendum to leave the EU in June last year.
The credit rating agency noted that outbound passenger traffic — which dominates the UK air market — is linked to the strength of the pound and UK economic activity. The value of the pound has weakened substantially since the referendum to leave the EU.
