Planes to keep flying in event of no-deal Brexit - UK government

Flights in and out of the UK are set to continue after 29 March, the government confirmed on Thursday, even if the country quits the European Union without a deal.

The Department for Transport has said it will reciprocate to EU airlines the rights granted to UK airlines through regulation until the end of March 2020.

Under the proposals, which will only come into force if the UK quits the bloc without a deal, flights are unlikely to stop after 29 March.

The Department for Transport said that around 164m passengers travel between the UK and EU each year “so these measures will ensure that passengers can continue to take business and leisure flights in a no-deal scenario”.

Aviation minister Elizabeth Sugg added: “This is good news, not only for the industry but most importantly it reaffirms the fact that passengers can book flights with confidence, as normal.

“We expect these contingency measures will never be needed and our efforts remain focused on securing a deal from the EU.”

Theresa May is pressing Parliament to approve her Withdrawal Agreement, but MPs have so failed to back the deal, which she agreed with Brussels late last year.

If MPs vote against the Withdrawal Agreement again next week, the House of Commons will be asked to vote on the possibility of leaving the EU without a deal. If that is rejected, another vote will be held over seeking a potential short extension to Article 50.