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LONDON (Alliance News) - Budget airline easyJet PLC on Friday confirmed a press report that it was seeking to secure an airline operator certificate in Europe following the Brexit vote, but said it does not have any plans to move from its base in Luton at present.
Sky News reported earlier on Friday easyJet had opened talks with aviation regulators in European Union member states about relocating its headquarters outside of the UK following the UK's vote to leave the EU.
Sky said Carolyn McCall, easyJet's chief executive, is understood to have signalled during private meetings this week that moving easyJet's base outside the UK was almost inevitable after the referendum result.
Sources close to the company told Sky that easyJet already has held preliminary talks with a handful of unidentified EU member states about being issued with an air operator's certificate which would allow it to move its headquarters.
Responding to the Sky report, easyJet said Friday that, as part of its contingency planning prior to the referendum, it held informal talks with a number of European aviation regulators about establishing an air operator certificate in a European country which would allow the company to fly across Europe as it currently does.
The formal process of acquiring an AOC has now started, but easyJet said until the outcome of the UK's negotiations on its exit from the EU become more clear, it does not plan to make any other structural or operational changes.
"We have no plans to move from Luton ? our home for 20 years," it added.
easyJet shares were up 1.0% to 1,096.78 pence.
By Sam Unsted; samunsted@alliancenews.com; @SamUAtAlliance
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