FLIGHTS between Britain and Europe could be suspended indefinitely in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, according to Ryanair.
The low-cost airline issued the startling warning after British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a letter triggering Article 50, which begins the process of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.
Ryanair say that Britain could be left with no flights to or from Europe from March 2019 if a favourable agreement is not reached.
Kenny Jacobs, the airline’s chief marketing officer, said there was a distinct possibility that Britain could revert to historical World Trade Organisation rules should Brexit negotiations go south.
Mr Jacobs says these rules would raise "the distinct possibility of no flights between Europe and the UK for a period from March 2019 in the absence of a bilateral deal.”
He added: "Some nine months on from the Brexit referendum, we are no closer to knowing what effect it will have on aviation.
“It's become worrying that the UK Government seems to have no plan B to maintain Britain's liberalised air links with Europe, in the absence of remaining in the ‘Open Skies’ regime."
“The best we can hope for is a new bilateral agreement between the UK and EU, however, we worry that Britain may not be able to negotiate such a bilateral in time for the release by airlines of summer 2019 schedules in mid-2018.”
Dublin-based Ryanair, which boasts of being Europe’s ‘No 1 airline’, employs more than 3,000 staff in Britain and is due to carry more than 40million passengers to and from British airports in 2017.
The airline said: “The UK Government must respond to the airlines and our customers and put aviation at the top of its agenda when it negotiates its Brexit deal with Brussels.
"Britain's airlines, airports and holidaymakers need a real and early solution for aviation, or risk Britain being cut off from Europe in March 2019.”
