2.—(1) Where the European Commission has adopted a decision to impose an operating ban on a person (“P”) under Article 16(10) of the Directive, the regulator must take all reasonable steps to ensure that P does not operate a flight that departs from or arrives in the United Kingdom.
(2) The steps a regulator may take under sub-paragraph (1) include—
(a)subject to sub-paragraph (3), issuing to aerodrome operators (or to any other person) any direction that the regulator deems necessary to enforce the ban;
(b)detaining and selling any aircraft of which P is the operator, in accordance with regulation 39(1)(b) and Schedule 9.
(3) Before issuing a direction under sub-paragraph (2)(a) the regulator must receive approval from the authority and (where different) the relevant authority.
(4) A person to whom a direction is issued under sub-paragraph (2)(a)—
(a)must comply with that direction, but
(b)is entitled to recover from the regulator a sum equal to any expense reasonably incurred by that person in complying with the direction.
(5) The regulator is entitled to recover as a civil debt from the operator concerned all sums incurred under sub-paragraph (4).
(6) In sub-paragraph (3) “relevant authority” means, where the principal place of business of the person to be directed is—
(a)in Wales, the Welsh Ministers;
(b)in Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;
(c)in Northern Ireland, the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland;
(d)not in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State.