UK Civil Aviation Authority officials are willing to put a safety case before the European Commission to assist a bid by operators of vintage aircraft, notably the Douglas DC-3, to avoid being banned from transporting passengers under new regulations.

Introduction of the EU-OPS rules on 16 July will mean aircraft with more than 19 seats will have to comply with common requirements, including the carriage of equipment which some operators claim is unnecessary and prohibitively expensive.

Coventry-based Air Atlantique, whose Classic Flight division operates several types of pre- and post-war aircraft, has warned that failure to find a way around the rules will effectively ground its DC-3s. The company is preparing a ‘farewell tour’ with the type, covering 18 UK airports in five months,

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