Setting out the association’s key demands from any Brexit agreement at Abta’s recent Travel Law Seminar, Alan Wardle said the association would continue to advocate a “sensible, pragmatic deal”.
However, he added the current December 2020 transition period deadline was “unrealistic”.
Fellow speaker, K&L Gates travel law specialist Neil Baylis, echoed Wardle’s comments, stating a deal on aviation was of paramount importance.
“We are doing what’s never been done before,” said Wardle. “We are working out how to diverge [from the EU]. We are going into the unknown in a lot of ways.
“There is a lot to agree in 21 months. And these agreements tend to take five, seven, even 10 years. This is the biggest regulation change [travel has] ever gone through.
“On March 29, we leave. That will happen unless there’s a fundamental change in our negotiating position, or the UK asks for extra time. There’s been talk about the transitional period being extended.
“We could be sailing quite close to the wind in March next year.”
