British carrier Easyjet has applied for an operating license in Austria as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.

The company says its application for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and licence followed a "rigorous and comprehensive process".

It says the process is "well advanced" and it hopes to receive the AOC and licence in the near future.

This will see Easyjet establish a new airline, Easyjet Europe, which will be headquartered in Vienna.

In a statement, the firm says this will allow flights to continue after the UK has left the EU "regardless of the outcome of talks on a future UK-EU aviation agreement".

"The people and planes that will fly for Easyjet Europe are already employed and based in EU27 countries", it adds.

The new structure means Easyjet would become a pan-European airline group - with three airlines based in Austria, Switzerland and the UK.

It says all of these will be owned by Easyjet plc - which will be EU-owned and controlled, listed on the London Stock Exchange and based in the UK.

The airline currently bases around 100 aircraft and employs around 4,000 people across six EU countries.