Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) guidance and (b) support his Department has in place for commercial pilots licensed in the UK who may no longer be able to operate EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) registered aircraft.

The United Kingdom (UK) Government places the highest importance on ensuring that the opportunities arising from our exit from the European Union (EU) are realised. Withdrawing from the EU means we have more autonomy to tailor aviation regulation according to the UKs competitive needs, while also adhering to international standards.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) published guidance for holders of UK pilot’s licenses in preparation for EU Exit. Further guidance has been published setting out the validity of UK licenses in Europe.

UK licences are valid to fly UK registered aircraft in the EU if certain conditions are met. EU law requires that a licence issued or validated by an EU Member State must be held by a pilot to fly an aircraft registered in the EU. This is in line with the requirements of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The procedures set out in Commission Delegated Regulation 2020/723 to obtain an EU licence continue to apply to UK license holders wishing to obtain a valid EU license.

The Department for Transport has implemented various support measures for commercial pilots in the UK. In February 2021, we launched the Aviation Skills Retention Platform (ASRP) to support skills retention for highly trained jobs, including pilots, by offering increased visibility of opportunities across the sector and courses to support skills, delivered by the Civil Aviation Authority International (CAAi).