Post-Brexit red tape costs British cargo airline £400k every time they get a plane repaired

Burdensome post-Brexit red tape is costing a fledgling British cargo airline £400,000 every time it gets a plane repaired.

One Air, which operates Boeing 747s, has been forced to send its fleet to America for routine servicing and repairs because of a lack of mutual recognition between the EU and the UK for those with the professional qualifications they need.

The chief executive of the company, Chris Hope, told The Guardian: “In the seven months of this calendar year so far, we’ve had two [services] that had to go to the US.

“The kind of incremental cost difference is approaching $500,000 for each of them.”

The company has criticised post-Brexit rules that require British pilots to be formally re-examined for identical qualifications in the EU at a substantial cost, while engineers’ hard-earned licences are rendered practically worthless outside Britain.

One Air’s problem is compounded by its position as the only company in the UK operating Boeing 747s.

Servicing and maintenance infrastructure for the aircraft is fast disappearing as passenger airlines have switched to Airbus since the pandemic.

As part of the Brexit arrangement, EU-based aircraft engineering companies in the bloc could apply to be recognised in the UK before the end of 2022 but there were no takers for 747s.