Submitting a Whistleblowing Report:
The CAA is a prescribed person under the Public Interest Disclosure Act (Prescribed Persons Order 2014) for the purpose of receiving protected disclosures regarding compliance with the requirements of civil aviation legislation. We are directly responsible for investigating any information of this nature that is received.
Anybody can make a whistleblowing report, but certain reports can’t be handled under the whistleblowing process, for example a personal grievance with an employer or complaint that does not have the potential to cause harm to the public. Read the information below before making a report.
A “worker” (which definition includes employees, independent contractors, agency workers and trainees) may make a complaint to the Employment Tribunal should they suffer detriment as a result of making a protected disclosure. An employee will be regarded as having been unfairly dismissed if the reason or principal reason for their dismissal is the making of a protected disclosure.
On occasion the CAA will receive allegations that may not be classed as whistleblowing reports and as such the protection is not that afforded to the whistleblower.
The CAA will respect the confidentiality of a whistleblower, unless agreed otherwise with them, and any information relating to the individual will be processed in accordance with our General Privacy Notice.
Submit A Whistleblowing Report
Note: Your contact details are often required to gather additional information to assist any potential subsequent investigation, whistleblowing investigations can be hindered without this information. Should you wish to make an anonymous report, ensure that you provide as much detail as possible.
If you are unable to report via the online form, reports can be made by emailing whistleblowing@caa.co.uk or by calling our 24/7 automated service on: +44 330 138 2305.
After You Submit A Report:
Upon receipt of an online whistleblowing report, an acknowledgement email will be provided to the whistleblower. This can only be provided should you submit an email address within your contact details.
If your report requires further investigation, we will only be able to confirm whether the investigation remains ongoing during the investigative stage. At the closure of the investigation, you will receive a confirmation of the closure and any available feedback.
We are unable to provide any further update, regarding your report, should the decision be made to not investigate your report further.
Information for Aviation Industry Employees or Ex-Employees
Before submitting a report to the CAA, you should first contact the relevant organisation and follow its internal complaints procedure.
Taking this step prior to reporting does not prevent the CAA from fulfilling its regulatory responsibilities or investigating any report it receives.
Qualifying Disclosures
To be protected under whistleblowing law, a disclosure must meet the criteria of a qualifying disclosure. This means you, as the worker making the disclosure, must reasonably believe that the information is both in the public interest and reveals that one or more of the following has happened, is happening, or is likely to happen:
- a criminal offence (this may include, for example, types of financial impropriety such as fraud);
- a breach of a legal obligation;
- a miscarriage of justice;
- danger to the health or safety of any individual;
- damage to the environment;
or - the deliberate covering up of wrongdoing in the above categories.
Information for Members of the Public
Before submitting a report under this process, read how to report a public safety concern.
Supporting Documents
You may share copies of any evidence or photographs to help support the investigation. These must be shared via our email address – whistleblowing@caa.co.uk.
Whistleblowing Annual Reporting
The CAA will investigate all disclosures in line with our statutory duties, provided sufficient information has been made available to carry out a meaningful investigation.
Protect (Formally Public Concern at Work)
If you're worried about malpractice, wrongdoing, or a safety risk at work and are unsure whether to report it to the CAA, you may find it helpful to seek guidance from the independent whistleblowing charity, Protect. They can advise you on the most appropriate way to raise your concern. For more information, visit Protect's website.