Organisers of air races and contests should also refer to CAP 403: Flying Displays and Special Events: Safety and Administrative Requirements and Guidance for details of licensing administrative requirements and application timescales.
Notification to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Airspace Regulation
Organisers of air races should submit a temporary airspace restriction request in accordance with the guidance on the Airspace restrictions page.
CAA Airspace Regulation output
Our output is likely to consist of one or more of the following:
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Airspace Co-ordination Notices (ACNs)
For certain activities, we publish ACNs which detail the co-ordination arrangements that have been agreed with air traffic control to accommodate the flight/s. ACNs are also used to alert other airspace users about the activity. Please note that the issue of an ACN does not necessarily constitute permission to undertake an activity or grant access to Prohibited, Restricted or Danger Areas. Short-term ACNs are generally distributed directly to the relevant stakeholders but may also be listed on the Short-term Airspace Co-ordination Notices page. Long-term ACNs are published in the list of Long-term Airspace Co-ordination Notices. -
Notice to Aviation (NOTAM)
For most activities of this type, we issue NOTAM to notify other airspace users. NOTAM are notices containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations. Further details of the NOTAM system are in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) section GEN 3.1 (available on the NATS Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) website) and in the UK NOTAM Guidance Material.
CAA Airspace Regulation do not currently charge for this work. Full details of CAA charges can be found in the Scheme of Charges.
Please refer to the Airspace restrictions page for further guidance.
Changes and cancellations
If your event/activity is changed or cancelled, please inform Airspace Regulation as soon as possible. If Airspace Regulation have already completed the assessment of the event/activity and provided you with a detailed response, please quote the activity reference number that was used in our email to you.
For changes, appropriate re-assessment and notification action will be undertaken. For cancellations, we will take action to cancel any output already published.
However, please bear in mind that, during periods of high workload, we may be unable to action changes/cancellations made at short notice.
Responsibilities of the event/activity sponsor
The CAA’s response to the sponsor does not constitute permission to disregard the legitimate interests of site landowners, other statutory bodies such as the Police and Emergency Services, the Highway Agency, local authorities (and their agents) or any other statutory body. It is the sponsor/operator’s responsibility to ensure that those interests are taken into consideration before going ahead with the event/activity.
The event/activity sponsor/operator is ultimately responsible for flight safety and must comply with the Air Navigation Order (ANO) 2016 (as amended) articles relating to endangerment:
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Article 240 - Endangering safety of an aircraft
A person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, or any person in an aircraft. -
Article 241 - Endangering safety of any person or property
A person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property.
ANO Article 265 provides that it is a criminal offence to contravene EC Regulations as retained (and amended in UK domestic law) under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the ANO or Regulations made under the Order. Further information can be found in CAP 1422: Code of Practice for the Investigations and Enforcement Team.
The sponsor/operator is responsible for the event/activity complying with all relevant national regulations.
Please refer to the relevant event/activity page for more specific guidance.
Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact Airspace Regulation between the hours of 08:30 and 16:30 Monday to Friday (excluding Public Holidays). It may not be possible to action messages/notifications submitted after 16:00 until the next working day.
Christmas closure: 16:30 on Monday 23 December 2024 and re-open at 08:30 on Monday 6 January 2025.
Planned periods of extended closure of the Airspace Regulation section will be notified here:
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