Of course it's political, it always was. You could argue the same for passports - why are British people, who held an EU passport not too long ago, suddenly disadvantaged when it comes to right to leave or work?
Since you mention that an Airbus is an Airbus and an ILS is an ILS... Would you be happy if Romanian or Bulgarian operator started flying domestic UK routes tomorrow? Surely an operator with EASA AOC is just as qualified to fly UK domestic routes as UK airlines are?