Airlines Ryanair applies for UK AOC

The Irish low cost carrier Ryanair has filed an application for an UK AOC with the Civil Aviation Authority. This new operators certificate should secure domestic operations within the UK in event of a hard Brexit in early 2019.

Ryanair currently offers domestic flights from Londonderry to Glasgow and Liverpool and plans to offer additional flights from London Stansted to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.

A hard Brexit could mean that all air and traffic rights between the UK and the European Union need to be renegotiated. Airlines without an UK AOC would not be able to operate domestic flights.

Ryanair follows its competitor Wizz Air. The Hungarian carrier applied for an UK AOC for its subsidiary Wizz Air UK in October 2017. Until now, Wizz Air does not offer domestic services in the UK. The carrier currently connects its base in London Luton with 41 destinations, mostly in Eastern Europe.

Ryanair’s major competitor Easyjet has decided to open a new Austrian Easyjet Europe subsidiary to secure its European operations after a possible Brexit. The new airline will have around 110 aircraft registered in Austria for its operations in Europe.

Beside the new Ryanair UK, the Irish low cost carrier plans to establish another new charter subsidiary named Ryanair Sun. The carrier plans to operate five Boeing 737-800 for charter operations in Summer 2018 and applied for a Polish AOC in July 2017.