Legislation to keep the airport in line with international standards has been ’Brexit-proofed’.

The Airports and Civil Aviation (Amendment) Bill has undergone detailed scrutiny in the Legislative Council.

The bill will update current law to pave the way, in future, for the government to introduce ’subordinate legislation’ - such as orders placed before Tynwald, rather than bills that require longer scrutiny - to enable the island to keep up with its international obligations on civil aviation.

One of the updates will see the removal from current legislation of a reference to the European Communities (Isle of Man) Act 1973.

This was picked up on by Tanya August-Hanson (previously Humbles), who asked what advice had been given by the Cabinet Office on such a move and what the implications were of such ’Brexit-proofing’, ahead of the UK actually leaving the EU.

Tim Crookall MLC, who is guiding the bill through the upper chamber on behalf of the government, said: ’We were offered the option of including it within the bill or for the amendment to be made as part of the island’s future Brexit Bill.

’In consultation, the Cabinet Office preferred the former, so we have gone with that, so we have Brexit-proofed it now, basically.’

Attorney General John Quinn said the government would continue to look at options to Brexit-proof legislation as it came forward.

He said, technically, the change did not set a precedent, ’but it does in practice because all legislation which we are considering now, we are considering in the context of whether or not it needs to be Brexit-proofed’.

The bill passed through its second reading and clauses stages.

It still requires a third reading by MLCs.