What is onboarding?
The onboarding process sets out how existing airspace change proposals (ACPs) within the London cluster will be transferred to a new consolidated single airspace change proposal sponsored by NERL as the UKADS provider.
Subject to NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) being tasked with providing the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) through the licence modification process, the onboarding process (CAP 3129 - Onboarding Process for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) Provider [for the London TMA Region]) sets out how existing airspace change proposals (ACPs) within the London cluster will be transferred to a consolidated single ACP sponsored by NERL, the UKADS provider (the London TMA Region Single ACP).
It is published pursuant to Direction 4 of the Civil Aviation Authority (Air Navigation) Directions 2023 which means that NERL and the existing London cluster ACP sponsors must follow it.
The onboarding process is a new process, separate from and additional to the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process. It is the process by which the UKADS provider onboards the London cluster ACPs before starting any of the design work in the next stage of the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process.
The London cluster ACP sponsors will all need to complete Stage 2 of the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process before the ACPs can be onboarded by the UKADS provider into the London TMA Region Single ACP.
Onboarding follows a 4-step process, with the CAA checking that the process has been completed prior to the withdrawal of the existing London cluster ACPs from the Airspace change portal and creation of the London TMA Region Single ACP. The UKADS provider’s work on the London TMA Region Single ACP will start at the beginning of the consult stage (currently Stage 3) of the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process.
The current sponsors of the existing London cluster ACPs will become “partners” and will be required to work closely and collaboratively with the UKADS provider to progress the London TMA Region Single ACP.
Is onboarding the same as transition?
No, onboarding is the process the UKADS provider and the sponsors of the existing London cluster ACPs will follow to transfer the existing ACPs within the London cluster to a consolidated single ACP sponsored by the UKADS provider (the London TMA Region Single ACP) and before the UKADS provider commences any of the design work in line with the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process.
Transition relates to the various activities that need to be undertaken to ready and enable the UKADS provider to prepare and sponsor the London TMA Region Single ACP. Before NERL is required to commence providing airspace design services as the UKADS provider, and subject to consultation, the Department for Transport (DfT) is reviewing various legislation and policy documents, the CAA is preparing a package of proposed changes to the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process and CAA and DfT are preparing proposed modifications to NERL’s air traffic services licence.
How will the initial options developed by the current ACP sponsors be transferred to the UKADS provider?
The onboarding process which the UKADS provider must complete prior to commencing work on the London TMA Region Single ACP is outlined in CAP 3129 - Onboarding Process for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) Provider [for the London TMA Region]. It contains 4 steps which the UKADS provider and the partners must complete. During onboarding the London TMA Region Single ACP partners (the London cluster airports and air navigation service providers) must provide the UKADS provider with all work to date relating to their relevant ACP including the list of initial options submitted to the CAA at the Develop and Assess gateway (end of Stage 2). These can be viewed on the CAA Airspace change portal.
Will all design principles or initial options developed by the current ACP sponsors be included in the UKADS provider’s ongoing London TMA region single design airspace change process?
This is unlikely. The UKADS provider will receive a specific mandate and strategic objectives for the London TMA region single airspace design. The government supports expansion at Heathrow Airport and has received proposals for a third runway which it is now assessing ahead of reviewing the Airports National Policy Statement. Any scheme must be delivered in line with our legal, environmental and climate commitments. A third runway at Heathrow would have a significant impact on airspace so work carried out to date by the current sponsors would need to be reviewed in the light of this
In addition any ACPs in the London TMA region and currently proceeding on the basis of no interaction with the London TMA Region Single ACP will no longer be able to proceed separately if the UKADS provider determines they need to be incorporated into and onboarded into the London TMA Region Single ACP.
Secondly, the UKADS provider must review all initial options together and discount any which do not work together as a whole, for the single airspace design. Similarly, the UKADS provider may need to develop additional options in order to optimise the single airspace design. This work is not part of the onboarding process but will be subject to the requirements of the revised CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process which the CAA will be consulting on by the end of September 2025.
Will the single design definitely incorporate any design considerations and "commitments” about the airspace design the current ACP sponsor made such as where aircraft will fly and at what height or any methodology the sponsor would use to make design choices?
No. In order to create a design that delivers the new specific mandate and strategic objectives for the London TMA region single airspace design in the context of any revised government policy, the UKADS provider may not be able to reflect any “commitments” the current ACP sponsor has made. The onboarding process requires the UKADS provider to review any design considerations and “commitments” and explain transparently which can be taken forward into the next stage of the airspace change process for the London TMA region single airspace design and which cannot.
Will the UKADS provider use any methodology to consider different airspace designs or assess the impact of different airspace designs other than that required by the revised CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process?
At all stages of the airspace change process the UKADS provider will only use the methodology required by CAA in revised CAP 1616 documents which the CAA will be consulting on at the end of September 2025. This methodology will be based on and reflect the statutory guidance given to the CAA by the Secretary of State (known as the Air Navigation Guidance or ANG). The Department for Transport intends to consult on a revised version of the ANG.
Some ACP sponsors of existing London Cluster ACPs may have considered the inclusion of elements which lie outside both the CAP 1616 Airspace Change Process and Government policy. Where these do not align with the London TMA Region Single ACP, the UKADS provider may consider discounting these as part of the onboarding process.
Does onboarding only apply to the London cluster?
The CAP 3129 - Onboarding Process for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) Provider and these FAQs apply to the London TMA region only.
If the UKADS role is extended to include a different geographical region, the CAA will consider whether it would be useful to publish other onboarding processes relevant to those areas.
Does this now mean that UKADS is up and running?
The DfT and the CAA will consult on the proposed modifications to the terms and conditions (respectively) of NERL’s licence that (subject to the licence modification process) will empower and enable NERL to provide the UKADS and enable NERL to charge for providing it. The finalisation of the licence modification process is expected to run into next year, but the aim is for NERL to have sufficient information where it could start mobilising the UKADS by the end of the year and start the work necessary to develop a single airspace design in the new year. This onboarding process will enable the UKADS provider to begin the work required to onboard the existing London cluster ACPs.