Ireland’s Taoiseach warns British aircraft could be banned from Irish airspace after Brexit

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar claims British aircraft could be prohibited from using Irish airspace in the event of a no deal Brexit, stating: "If there was a no deal hard Brexit in March, the planes would not fly and Britain would be an island in many ways" (Belfast Telegraph/UK Independent, 21-Jul-2018). A Downing Street spokesperson claimed Ireland has no right to restrict British aircraft from using Irish airspace as "overflight rights are not guaranteed by the EU" but by a "multilateral treaty" that Ireland and the UK have both signed. The spokesperson further stated the UK is confident it will reach a Brexit deal that includes "aviation access".