(Adds background)
LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Britain and the U.S. have signed
a deal for the continuation of flights between the two countries
as the UK prepares for the end of its transition period with the
European Union.
The deal, called the Air Services Agreement, was reached in
November 2018, and signed on Tuesday by UK transport minister
Grant Shapps, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S.
Transport Secretary Elaine Chao.
Britain left the EU earlier this year but in practice
remains covered by EU agreements and rules until the transition
period finishes at the end of this year.
The newly signed agreement allows the two countries to
continue existing operations as they did under the EU-U.S. open
skies deal, although flying between them is currently at a very
low level due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Before COVID-19, tens of millions of passengers a year
travelled between the countries, contributing to a trading
relationship with the U.S. worth over 230 billion pounds ($300
billion), said the UK's Department for Transport in a statement.
British Airways, part of IAG, and Virgin Atlantic,
two UK-based airlines which fly trans-Atlantic routes, have
called on the two governments to work together to agree a
testing regime to allow travel to recover during the pandemic.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden and
Stephen Addison)