Outdoor laser lights and fireworks

Activities of this type can vary from a small-scale garden event to a major commercial or ceremonial occasion. They all have the potential to distract and confuse aircrews or damage aircraft during flight operations. In the first instance, please refer to CAP 736: Operation of Directed Light, Fireworks, Toy Balloons and Sky Lanterns within UK Airspace for detailed guidance on the notification process and safety measures.

Locations of known permanent laser sites are detailed in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) section ENR 5.3 (available on the NATS Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) website). Only those sites which radiate sufficient power to cause distraction or eye damage and which intentionally emit laser beams into airspace or are likely to in the event of a malfunction are included in the AIP.

Notification to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Airspace Regulation

Proposed additions or changes to the UK AIP list of permanent sites should follow the process detailed in CAP 1618: Airspace Design: Unusual aerial activities published in the UK AIP.

For temporary notifications, please complete and submit a notification form.

A minimum of 7 days’ notice is requested. During periods of high workload, we may be unable to process notifications made with less than the stated minimum notice.

If it is a recurring event/activity, please quote the previous CAA activity reference number (if known) when completing the notification form.

After you submit the notification form, you will receive an automated email confirmation that the details have been received.

When the notification is received, the details are checked to ensure all required information has been provided in line with regulatory/policy requirements. The event/activity is then compared against other known activity where we would support the co-ordination and deconfliction of any conflicting activities. If clarification of the details is required, we will contact you via the email address that was provided in the notification form.

CAA Airspace Regulation output

Our output is likely to consist of the following:

• 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 AIP section GEN 3.1 (available on the NATS AIS website) and in the UK NOTAM Guidance Material.

We will endeavour to provide a response. However, during periods of high workload, it may not be possible to respond to every notification. Valid NOTAM can be viewed on the NATS AIS website. When enquiring about the status of an outstanding notification, please always quote the reference number that you received in the automated email confirmation.

Subject to workload, we will respond by email to the address that was provided in the notification form. The email will explain whether or not the notification has been successfully processed. Additional advice/guidance may be included.

CAA Airspace Regulation do not currently charge for this work. Full details of CAA charges can be found in the Scheme of Charges.

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:

• 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.