FILE PHOTO: An airplane prepares to land at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy

GENEVA (Reuters) - Uncertainty over what would happen to flight bookings in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal next year is “very concerning”, a senior International Air Transport Association (IATA) official said on Wednesday.

“I assume you can get your money back. But I have no idea what the rules would be, once this disruption happens... the level of uncertainty is very concerning,” Rafael Schvartzman, IATA Regional Vice President for Europe, told Reuters.

Trade experts and lawyers have said that a “no deal Brexit” on March 29 next year could mean planes being grounded, although Schvartzman said that no airlines had stopped selling tickets for flights after the expected Brexit date of March 29.

“The airlines ... are talking to the governments to be able to get clarity on what to do. As an industry body, we’re obviously talking to the different stakeholders and what we are working for is for a deal to happen,” he added.

If Britain left the EU without an agreement on airline security, passengers and baggage may need to be rescreened on flights from Britain into the EU, a duplication of security controls that would be detrimental to the entire European aviation industry, Schvartzman said.

Government officials told Reuters last month that the United States and United Kingdom were nearing an open skies aviation agreement to govern air travel after Britain exits the EU.