A No Deal Brexit could force up to 5MILLION plane tickets to be cancelled, a coalition of 300 top airlines have warned.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) sounded the alarm barely two months before Brexit – warning family trips this summer will be hit.

Currently it is not known exactly which tickets could be hit, or how passengers would find out if they are at risk. It only applies if there is no Brexit deal.

The situation arose because in a ‘no deal’, there will be no automatic legal basis for flights between the EU and UK after 11pm on 29 March 2019.

Under a deal struck between the UK and EU last month, "basic connectivity" will be "maintained" for a 12-month period if there’s No Deal.

But according to the IATA – which represents 290 airlines including British Airways – that only means maintaining the number of flights in 2018.

"[It] does not allow for an increase in flight numbers in 2019 compared to 2018," said an IATA statement.

"IATA research estimates that up to 5 million extra seats are scheduled for 2019 compared to 2018 in order to meet consumer demand.

"Many of these will be in the peak Summer season when families will be booking holidays.

"These are at risk if a ‘no deal’ Brexit occurs."

Spokesmen for industry bodies Airlines UK and ABTA played down the risks today, saying the flights ‘quota’ is still to be finalised.

But Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: "A no-deal Brexit would be a disaster for the UK aviation sector.

"The Government must immediately reassure the aviation industry that its operating environment will not change after March 29.

" Theresa May has to listen to the majority of MPs, as well as members of her own cabinet, and take no-deal off the table."

Today Which? Travel magazine claimed some of the UK’s most popular airlines are failing to tell passengers about the threat.

Customers should be warned over the possibility of passports becoming invalid and flights being cancelled if there’s no deal, the magazine said.

The publication issued the alert after studying the websites of easyJet, Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways.

Its editor, Rory Boland, told the Press Association: "There were no warnings through the booking process on any of those sites about possible cancellations or passport validity."

Proposed no-deal guidance from the EU Commission published last month stated that flights between the UK and EU should continue for 12 months in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but UK airlines would not be allowed to add new routes or increase frequencies. 

Airports Council International predicted that – if the policy was also applied by the UK to EU airlines – it would "ultimately result in the loss of 93,000 new flights and nearly 20 million airport passengers on the UK-EU27 market".

Mr Boland said: "We think airlines should be more upfront that some flights may not be able to depart in the case of a no-deal because it would give potential customers the opportunity to change their plans.

"That could mean booking a package holiday … or they may decide they’ll still buy the flight but they won’t purchase their hotels or car hire until a later date when they’re sure those flights are going to depart.

"It’s giving passengers more information so they can make a better, informed decision about their holidays."

BREXIT

Travellers will need to have at least six months left on their passport from the date of arrival in EU countries in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Boland claimed the Government "should be warning people more proactively" about the change.

He said: "The issue will come when everybody suddenly realises as the Easter holidays approach and then there’s a mass of applications and the passport office can’t handle it.

"They should be telling people to get those applications in early."

What industry associations say about your tickets

A spokesman for industry association Airlines UK said: “We have had clarity from both the UK Government and EU that even in the event of a no-deal Brexit air travel will continue.

"This is in addition to the excellent progress Government has made in concluding bilateral agreements with third countries – including the United States and Canada.

"It is true there is some detail in the Commission’s no-deal Regulations that we are seeking urgent clarity on – and we have always said we would not support a no-deal outcome – and we remain hopeful that common sense will prevail.”

ABTA, the trade body for UK travel agents, said: "The European Commission and the UK Government have both said that, even in a no-deal scenario, flights will continue to operate between the UK and the EU.

"The limitation on flights at the same levels as 2018 is yet to be agreed – it is a proposal that is still to be voted on by Members of the European Parliament who will have to take into account the impact on their own economies.

"Once further clarity is provided, airlines and travel businesses will wish to review what the impacts may be. ‘In any event, people who book a package holiday have the greatest level of protection as it is down to their travel company to make sure their holiday is provided or offer a full refund if that is not possible."

What the government says

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "We are committed to ensuring that flights between the UK and EU continue, and the European Commission has published a proposal to make sure this happens.

"This clearly shows that in the event of no deal, both sides are committed to maintaining connectivity.

"These combined reassurances should allow businesses and passengers to continue to book and travel with confidence."

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