The Civil Aviation Authority has put out a statement in response to
Sky News’ report that British pilots would need to be reissued with their licenses and would no longer have them recognised by European Aviation Safety Agency in the event of a no deal Brexit.
The CAA decribed the
Sky report as
“misleading” and dismissed the idea that UK pilot licenses would cease to be valid in the EU without a Brexit deal.
“Both commercial and private UK pilot licences would remain valid for use on UK-registered aircraft as the United Kingdom is a signatory to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Chicago Convention. Our licences are internationally recognised – including by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) – both now and after 29 March 2019.”
Sky’s claim that all licenses would need to be reissued
“which would cost millions”was also shot down, with the CAA pointing out that this was a
“purely cosmetic change” which would simply be carried out as and when pilots needed licenses to be reissued in the normal course of events. It is as daft as suggesting that the Home Office is going to reissue every single British passport the day after Brexit simply to erase the words
“European Union” from the cover.
The CAA also accused
Sky News of further departures from reality with their claims that there would be turbulence in its ability to provide safety oversight to the aviation industry in the event of no deal,
“strongly refuting” any suggestion they were concerned and dismissing
Sky as
“confused”.