Voting in the European Parliament this morning on an update to the Single European Sky legislation, MEPs have chosen to exclude Gibraltar from the legislation, which covers the safe and efficient utilisation of airspace and the air traffic management system, within the EU.

The initiative is necessary to control Europe’s extremely busy air space. It looks to regulate an air traffic system that uses boundaries following national borders and large airspace areas that are used solely by the military.

The vote saw a 355 to 260 majority and has been dubbed as ‘disappointing’ by Gibraltar MEP Graham Watson. Taking to Twitter to lament the vote, Sir Graham insisted that the UK Government will now have to take the issue to the EU Council to aid in the return of ‘Cordoba language’. He claims that Spanish PP MEPS deleted reference to the Cordoba Agreement, returning to ‘old sovereignty language’ excluding Gibraltar airport from the measure.