We don't know what advice the CAA were giving to Ops directors behind the scenes, but the only public advice on Brexit preparedness was on their microsite. This was very simplistic information and it only gave advice on the worst no deal scenario. Since before the 2019 general election, our Prime Minister was assuring us that the chance of no deal was a million to one and that he had a fantastic oven ready deal. Based on that advice from the PM, it would be unlikely that many would expect that the Government would negotiate away their right to be able to apply for jobs in their own country on a UK licence.
Yes, the PM is a liar and this very scenario demonstrates why he should not be in office. Thousands of UK licenced pilots have bend stitched up by their own government but how were they supposed to make decisions based whether Johnson was lying or just waffling through not understanding the facts?
Johnson did deliver a deal which he continued to describe as excellent but we now know that it was s*"^t all along and Frosts input was just to dick around stretch things out until the deadline. Johnson and his owners and minders never intended it to be anything other than that. UK pilots have been well and truly shafted by their own government.