The departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, known as Brexit, has had significant consequences in many sectors, and aviation is no exception. One of the most obvious consequences is the growing complexity and additional costs associated with aircraft maintenance. Aviationline.
This situation becomes particularly critical for One Air, the last British operator to operate cargo flights with its Boeing 747-400.
With Brexit, many aircraft licenses held by British personnel are no longer recognized in the EU. This has created a barrier for certified maintenance facilities in the UK, which now face difficulties in acquiring aircraft from European operators.
Chris Hope, chief executive of OneAir, said the lack of mutual recognition between the United Kingdom and the European Union had caused the company's operating costs to rise dangerously.
“In the first seven months of this year, we had to hire two maintenance jobs in the U.S.”Hope told The Guardian. “This decision resulted in an increase of approximately $500,000 per flight, mainly due to transit times and associated emissions.”
The challenges posed by Brexit do not end there. Day-to-day maintenance of the company's Boeing 747s faces problems because components installed on British planes must now be approved by UK authorities or covered by UK-US contracts. The regulatory change has severely limited One Air's options to carry out maintenance work on its fleet within the country or the European Union.
One Air, which made its maiden voyage on July 24, 2023, carrying 100 tonnes of cargo from Jinan, China to London, operates regular charter flights between Asia and Europe in addition to global services. AdvertisingW.
Among the key milestones in the first year of operations, the addition of a second Boeing 747-400F to the fleet in November stands out, meeting the growing demand for cargo from China and Hong Kong to Europe. Choosing East Midlands Airport as its base of operations brought benefits.
Despite the challenging situation, Chris Hope is optimistic about potential changes under a new UK Labor government. Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed there were plans to address difficulties faced by airlines and review aspects of the UK's relationship with the EU. The moves could eventually ease some of the regulatory burdens currently placed on OneAir and other British operators.
