If someone, usually an airport or air traffic control provider (the 'change sponsor'), wants to request a permanent change to UK airspace design, they must submit an airspace change proposal to the CAA. Any such proposal will go through our airspace change process, which requires a series of stages to be completed before it is submitted to us for a decision. Our airspace change process guidance document (CAP 725) explains the process.

We published an information pack in October 2016 to provide greater clarity for interested parties on certain elements of the current airspace change process.

To initiate the airspace change process, the sponsor of the proposal must complete and submit DAP 1916: Intended Change to Notified Airspace Arrangements to the CAA.

The new airspace change process

We are introducing a new airspace change process. On 31 March we published for consultation draft revised guidance material on the new process, which will replace CAP 725. View our consultationand responses we received. The consultation is now closed. The consultation documentation comprised the draft guidance document itself, a draft environmental technical annex to the guidance, a separate document about a new category of airspace change (known as 'Tier 2') which the Government is proposing to introduce, and a pdf version of the consultation document and questions. We are now considering the responses and plan to publish the revised guidance document in the autumn, subject to the Government having announced the outcome of its own policy consultation (see below).

See the Related Information below for older information about why we decided to change the process.

Government airspace consultation

Between February and May 2017 the Government consulted on proposals about the policy and criteria against which we assess airspace change proposals. The consultation has now closed.

Transitioning to the new airspace change process

The development of more complex airspace change proposals can last for several years, so there will be some which are in progress when we introduce the new process. More information about arrangements for transitioning to the new process is available.