The UK has reached a new air services arrangement with Canada, UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced.

The new arrangement will see flights continue between the two nations post-Brexit, allowing millions of passengers to have the same access to transatlantic routes once the UK leaves the EU.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “This new aviation arrangement between the UK and Canada will further strengthen the strong economic and cultural bonds shared between our countries.”

He added: “International cooperation is essential to a thriving economy and this latest arrangement continues to build momentum for the UK as we leave the EU and take a more prominent position on the world stage.”

Since 2012, the number of passengers travelling between the UK and Canada has been steadily increasing with more than 3.5 million people travelling between the two countries last year.

Meanwhile, European airlines have warned that a ‘no-deal’ Brexit for the UK could have “disastrous consequences for the aviation industry, including the grounding of many flights across EU countries and the UK”. ERA (the European Regions Airlines Association) has sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to take urgent measures in advance of the UK leaving the European Union.

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