At a glance:
- Consultation seeks views on regulatory change needed to allow new types of commercial VTOL operations to take place by 2028.
- Areas covered include airworthiness, flight operations, pilot licensing and aerodromes and landing sites.
- Consultation closes 29 January 2026.
As new types of vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) start to enter the skies, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has today published a significant consultation that sets out how the UK would regulate these aircraft and their operations. It includes proposals on the regulatory frameworks for pilot licensing, landing sites and aerodromes, airworthiness and flight operations.
The UK CAA aims to enable the safe introduction of this new technology, while supporting the growth of this innovative sector in the UK. The UK CAA has set a target to have the rules and regulations in place to allow commercial passenger VTOL flights by the end of 2028. This consultation sets out proposals for how VTOL will be regulated in practice.
Overall, the proposals aim to utilise existing aviation regulations as far as possible, helping these new aircraft to successfully integrate into the aviation system while ensuring compatibility with international rules.
Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future Safety and Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“We’re working to facilitate the safe introduction of VTOL aircraft in the UK. This consultation proposes the regulatory framework needed to support commercial flights from 2028.
"We need to hear from everyone involved in the introduction of these new aircraft to help shape the UK’s approach.”
Following feedback on this consultation, we will issue further consultations on the detailed regulatory wording and associated guidance next year and submit our recommendations for legislative change to the government.
Some of the top-level proposals in the consultation include:
- Classifying these new aircraft as either ‘Powered-Lift’ or ‘Non-Conventional Helicopters’
- Developing a pilot licensing framework based on existing requirements, including an option for a private pilot licence for non-commercial flying
- Putting in place operational rules for commercial flying, using existing helicopter and aeroplane requirements as far as is possible
- Adapting rules for landing sites and aerodromes where required for the differences in VTOL aircraft. We also propose to allow operations from unlicensed aerodromes if the operator has permission to do so.
The consultation is available on our website and is open until 29 January 2026.