Brexit Air Service Agreement

231. Finally, witnesses stated that it was essential, in easyJet`s words, to `conclude an agreement before the formal withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU`. 332 The Airport Operators` Association stated that `failure to agree on a new air services agreement would seriously disrupt the main commercial and tourist routes for the United Kingdom`333 IATA stressed, however, that negotiations on such agreements have lasted `certainly more than two years` and that the Commission is `increasingly lagging behind in terms of inexercent mandates`. The Airport Managers` Association said Gibraltar Airport was “deeply concerned about all attempts by other EU member states to exclude them from current and future agreements between the UK and the EU”330 Indeed, negotiations on the Single European Sky II proposal are currently at a standstill, with Spain insisting: Exclude Gibraltar from the scope of the proposal. Dr Humphreys warned that Spain could end the negotiations and noted that “the experience gained so far indicates that it may well be prepared for it”. .