Airspace change process
Guidance on changes to the use or classification of UK airspace.
Airspace change proposals are requests from a ‘sponsor’, usually an airport or a provider of air navigation services (including air traffic control), to change the notified airspace design published in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
Airspace change proposals must follow the CAA’s airspace change process.
What is the airspace change process?
Airspace change proposals are requests from a ‘sponsor’, usually an airport or a provider of air navigation services (including air traffic control), to change the notified airspace design published in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). Airspace change proposals must follow the CAA’s airspace change process.
The airspace change process change sponsors need to follow is outlined in version 5.1 CAP 1616 – Airspace Change Process.
On the 1 October 2026, an updated airspace change process CAP 1616 version 6 will come into effect. This updated process will apply the Government’s updated legislation the Air Navigation Direction 2026 and the Air Navigation Guidance 2026.
All new airspace change proposals submitted after 1 October 2026 will follow CAP 1616 version 6, airspace change process.
Airspace change process
The number and scale of airspace change proposals which the CAA receives each year varies. Some approaches do not go beyond an initial outline conversation and never progress to a proposal. Some proposals can last several years between the first conversation and the final decision.
The CAP 1616 airspace change process ensures that when the CAA decides whether or not to approve a proposal to change UK airspace, it does so in an impartial and evidence-based way.
The airspace change process is designed to align with the Government’s policy on managing airspace. The legislative framework to airspace change is explained on our website.
You can read more about the airspace change process on the Airspace Change Portal webpages.
CAP 1616 version 6 comes into effect on 1 October 2026.
The accompanying guidance documents are:
- Permanent airspace change proposals: CAP 1616j, Requirements and Guidance on the Airspace Change Process for Permanent Airspace Change Proposals
- Non-permanent airspace change proposals: CAP 1616k, Requirements and Guidance on the Airspace Change Process for Non-Permanent Airspace Change Proposals
- CAP 3299, The CAA’s Air Navigation Functions Guidance
CAP1616 version 5, was implemented on 2 January 2024.
The accompanying guidance documents are:
- CAP1616 version 5: The Process for Changing the Notified Airspace Design
- CAP1616F: Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Permanent Airspace Change Proposals (Effective 2 January 2024)
- CAP1616G: Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Temporary and Trial Airspace Change Proposals (Effective 18 March 2024)
- CAP1616H: Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Level 3 and Pre-Scaled Airspace Change Proposals (Effective 2 January 2024)
- CAP 1616i: Environmental Assessment Requirements and Guidance for Airspace Change Proposals (Effective 2 January 2024)
For information on transition arrangements from CAP1616 version 4 to CAP1616 version 5, please see the CAP1616 review webpage.
- CAP 1617: Planned and Permanent Redistribution of Air Traffic - Effective 2 January 2024, this publication explains the regulatory process to be followed for a planned and permanent redistribution of air traffic.
- CAP 1618: Airspace Information: transparency about airspace use and aircraft movements - Effective 2 January 2024, this publication provides guidance to the aviation industry, particularly airports and air navigation service providers, in relation to transparency about their ongoing operations.
- Airspace Policy Statements
- Infographic - How airspace works and who is involved
- Progressive Airspace Design: Guidance for Airspace Around UK Aerodromes - Effective 1 July 2026, guidance to help sponsors design proportionate, risk-based airspace solutions around UK aerodromes, using decision-making tools to achieve an acceptable level of safety performance while supporting flexibility and equitable access.
- Airspace change bibliography: Useful references for airspace change sponsors
- Statement of Need form this is an online form that sponsors use to submit to the CAA at the start of the airspace change or PPR process
- Change Sponsor Timeline Change Request (Permanent)
- Change Sponsor Timeline Change Request (Temporary/Trial)
- Change Sponsor Timeline Change Request (Level 3 non pre-scaled)
- Change Sponsor Timeline Change Request (Level 3 pre-scaled off shore windfarm)
- Change Sponsor Timeline Change Request (Level 3 pre-scaled instrument approach procedures without approach control and helicopter Point-in-Space)
The Air Navigation Directions 2023 require the CAA to publish a prioritisation principles document which contains our general approach to determining the order in which we will consider airspace change proposals submitted.
The principles can be found in CAP2541 Principles for the prioritisation of airspace change proposal.
We anticipate that there will be a significant number of airspace change proposals required to support the Airspace Modernisation Strategy, including the Airspace Change Masterplan. Accordingly, we require flexibility in how we manage airspace change proposals, giving priority to certain proposals to support delivery of that strategy and plan.
We also need to continue to be able to prioritise airspace changes which are required for an urgent safety or national security reason, as well as other airspace changes which are designed to achieve certain Government policy objectives.
We recognise that the prioritisation of ACPs envisaged by the Air Navigation Directions may, on occasions, have an impact on sponsors who have airspace change proposals in progress. As a result, we will seek to minimise disruption as far as practicable to impacted sponsors.
It is not our intent to conduct a re-prioritisation of all airspace change proposals currently in progress, but only to prioritise when we believe this is required. Where a sponsor is impacted, we will confirm this with a statement on the Airspace Change Portal. The impacted sponsor will need to propose a new timeline which will need to be agreed with the CAA.
Any aeronautical data associated with airspace change bound for the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) must be fit for purpose and in line with the necessary aeronautical data quality (ADQ) requirements as set out in UK Regulation (EU) No 2017/373 and UK Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 and further described in CAP1054 Aeronautical Information Management.
The CAA Aeronautical Data Template is our preferred data exchange format and provides a vehicle for the data originator to submit and gain regulatory approval of AIP bound data and supporting metadata associated with CAP1616 Airspace Design submissions in a consistent manner which is in line with the ADQ Requirements. The scope of the data involved can be found in Annex A of CAP1054.
Please also read the Aeronautical Data Associated with Airspace Design policy statement.