Airlines for America (A4A) supports the recent open skies air-service agreement reached between the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
The agreement ensures transatlantic routes will continue uninterrupted.
The top American airlines had warned the UK that flights would be canceled if the UK left the European Union’s (EU) open skies agreement without first making its own agreements.
Under the new agreement, EU majority-owned airlines currently operating between the UK and the United States can continue to fly existing routes as long as they remain owned and controlled by UK nationals or EU/European Economic Area nationals.
“Today’s announcement provides much-needed certainty that when the UK exits the European Union, there will be no disruption to air service for the traveling and shipping public,” Nicholas E. Calio, A4A president and CEO, said. “Continued connectivity also will benefit the 720,000 men and women employed by the U.S. airline industry, who work to deliver a safe, seamless and positive travel experience to customers each day. We deeply appreciate the sense of urgency that both governments and their negotiators brought to concluding this agreement.”
Annually, more than 900,000 tons of cargo and 20 million passengers are flown between the two nations.