Britain and the United States have agreed on an “open skies” deal for post-Brexit flights, Transport Minister Chris Grayling has said. On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, Transport Minister Grant Shapps signed the UK-US Air Services Agreement, a bilateral agreement that will provide air traffic on some of the world`s busiest air routes and ensure business continuity between Britain and the US after Brexit. The agreement was signed on behalf of the United States by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Transportation Minister Elaine Chao and is expected to take effect on January 1, 2021. So what is the practical relevance of the bilateral air transport agreement between the two countries? The agreement entered into force on 29 June 2020. However, it has been provisionally applicable since 30 March 2008 (Article 25 of the Air Services Agreement). The ECAA and horizontal agreements allow EU airlines to fly from the UK to 17 other non-ECAA countries, such as the US, Australia and New Zealand, with reduced restrictions. This has significantly increased the number of routes and freight forwarders available to consumers. “We don`t need an agreement with the EU on rail, because we can guarantee connectivity through other agreements.” Further negotiations between the EU and the US started in 2008 and culminated in the signing of a second stage agreement in 2010. This Protocol builds on the first Agreement and provides additional investment and market access opportunities. It also strengthens the framework for cooperation in regulatory areas such as safety, social aspects and, in particular, the environment, in which the two parties have agreed on a specific joint declaration on the environment. The agreement maintains the flight rights enjoyed by US and UK airlines since 2007 as part of the us open ski deal. and the EU, while air services agreements with the UK`s overseas territories are extended. “A year ago, when we didn`t agree on an agreement, we had a `status quo agreement` that, regardless of the outcome, would have the air rights to come and go to Europe,” he said.

M. Shapps said: “For road and air transport, both sides broadly agree that UK and EU operators should have the right to provide services between the UK and the EU, and this will be the basis for an agreement. If the UK fails to reach an agreement with the EU, it will be forced to return to largely obsolete agreements, originally defined in the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention. . . .