Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has joined the growing list of carriers eager to mitigate the impact of a possible hard Brexit. In a statement issued on January 2, 2018, the Irish LCC said it had now applied for an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

"Ryanair today confirmed that a subsidiary company Ryanair UK filed an application on December 21 last [year] for an Air Operator's Certificate with the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK," it said. "This may be required for Ryanair's three UK domestic routes in the event of a hard Brexit in March 2019."

Rival carrier's easyJet (London Luton) and Wizz Air (W6, Budapest) have already undertaken their own respective bids for either UK- or European Union-based AOCs. easyJet has already established easyJet Europe (EC, Vienna) in Austria while Wizz Air has already announced plans to launch Wizz Air UK (W9, London Luton) later this year.

Ryanair currently operates from Londonderry City of Derry to both Glasgow International and Liverpool and starting March 25 plans to also operate (again) from London Stansted to Belfast International, Edinburgh and Glasgow Int'l.