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EasyJet awaits Austrian air operating licence

EasyJet today revealed that it is hopeful of obtaining an Air Operators Certificate and operating licence from Austria.

The application for a Vienna-based airline operating licence was made earlier this year following a “rigorous and comprehensive” process, the budget airline said.

“The accreditation process is now well advanced and easyJet hopes to receive the AOC and licence in the near future,” the carrier said.

“These will allow easyJet to establish a new airline, easyJet Europe, which will be headquartered in Vienna and will enable easyJet to continue to operate flights both across Europe and domestically within European countries after the UK has left the EU, regardless of the outcome of talks on a future UK-EU aviation agreement.

“The people and planes that will fly for easyJet Europe are already employed and based in EU27 countries.”

The plan means that easyJet would become a pan-European airline group with three airlines based in Austria, Switzerland and the UK.

All of these will be owned by easyJet which itself will be EU owned and controlled, listed on the London Stock Exchange and based in the UK.

EasyJet stressed that it will continue to push for the UK and EU to reach an aviation agreement which will enable flights between the UK and EU “at a minimum”.

The airline currently bases around 100 aircraft and employs about 4,000 people across six EU27 countries who will form the basis of easyJet Europe.

The establishment of easyJet Europe will create a number of new jobs in Austria, but no jobs will move from the UK to Austria.

All of easyJet’s UK employees will continue to be based in Luton and its 11 UK bases and employed as they are today.

The airline has operated in Austria for 11 years, flying more than a million passengers in 2017.

Last year easyJet increased the number of passengers it carried to and from Austria by 60%.

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