UK airlines are using a Brexit loophole to keep passengers flying this summer amid continued travel disruption. Some of the nation's biggest airlines are leasing fully-crewed jets from overseas to maintain flight programmes amid crippling staff shortages.
TUI, British Airways, Jet2 and easyJet are all using the system - known as wet-leasing - to comply with flight schedules. It enables them to sidestep post-Brexit rules, which require EU staff working on UK-registered aircraft to hold a British visa.
Low-cost airline easyJet has reported contracted eight aircraft from Latvia’s SmartLynx Airlines. Seven will operate out of Gatwick and one from Bristol.
Meanwhile, the UK's biggest tour operator TUI is reported to have wet-leased five Latvian-crewed jets to operate out of Manchester, Gatwick and Doncaster-Sheffield. It has also contracted two jets from Lithuanian carrier Avion Express for flights out of Gatwick.
British Airways has brought in four aircraft from its Spanish sister airline Iberia and four from Finnair, despite having some of its fleet in storage. Other operators are using aircraft operated and crewed by Spanish carrier Wamos and there is no suggestion that any rules have been broken.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “To offer our customers access to as many destinations as possible, our partner airlines are operating some European flights for us as we continue to rebuild our operation.”
What is wet leasing?
The Government has been told by airline bosses that carriers will operate more overseas-registered aircraft unless immigration rules are relaxed to enable staff to be brought in to help deal with staff shortages across the travel industry.
Aircraft and crew is provided by the leasing airline. A wet lease is typically utilised during peak traffic seasons to replace unavailable capacity.
Airlines have acknowledged the use of wet leasing and said that it is common practice in the industry and does not breach UK immigration law. More than 2.5million passengers are thought to fly to and from the UK in EU-registered aircraft and with overseas staff.
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