The number and scale of airspace change proposals which the CAA receives each year varies considerably. Some approaches by sponsors do not go beyond initial outline conversations and never progress to a proposal. Some proposals can last several years between the first conversation and the final decision.
The CAP1616 Airspace Change process was implemented in January 2018, to ensure that it meets modern standards for regulatory decision-making, and is fair, transparent, consistent and proportionate. The 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 that takes proper account of the needs and interests of all affected stakeholders.
We initiated a review of the CAP1616 Airspace Change process in 2021, three years after its implementation. An updated version was implemented on 2 January 2024. The new version, CAP1616 version 5, addresses key feedback themes identified through the review and focuses on providing simplification, clarification and proportionality.
In addition to publishing CAP1616 version 5, we have also published the following associated requirements and guidance, which are in force from 2 January 2024:
- Planned and Permanent Redistribution of Air Traffic
-
Airspace Information: transparency about airspace use and aircraft movements
- Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Permanent Airspace Change Proposals
- Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Level 3 and Pre-Scaled Airspace Change Proposals
- Environmental Assessment Requirements and Guidance for Airspace Change Proposals
- Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Temporary and Trial Airspace Change Proposals will be effective 18 March 2024.
For further information on transition arrangements, please see the CAP1616 review webpage.
The airspace change process is designed to align with the Government’s policy on managing airspace. Airspace change options are assessed using WebTAG, a series of guides and spreadsheet tools. The Department for Transport have published guidance explaining what WebTAG is and how it can be used to assess noise impacts.
The legislative framework to airspace change is explained on our website.
Information about the Airspace Modernisation Strategy is available on our website and in document CAP1711.
Prioritisation of Airspace Change Proposals
The Civil Aviation Authority (Air Navigation) Directions 2023 require the CAA to publish a prioritisation principles document which contains its general approach to determining the order in which it will consider airspace change proposals submitted to it for decision. The principles can be found in CAP2541 Principles for the prioritisation of airspace change proposal.
The CAA anticipates that there will be a significant number of airspace change proposals (with varying levels of complexity) required to support the Airspace Modernisation Strategy, including the Airspace Change Masterplan. Accordingly, the CAA requires flexibility in how it manages airspace change proposals, giving priority to certain proposals in order to support delivery of that strategy and plan. The CAA also needs 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.
The CAA recognises 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, the CAA 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, the CAA 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.
FCS1521: Use of UK Airspace Report
Enquiries about the airspace change process can be made by submitting CAA Form FCS1521: Use of UK Airspace Report.
Aeronautical data – a note for airspace change sponsors
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.
Useful documents
- 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
- CAP1616 Airspace Change: Guidance on the regulatory process for changing the notified airspace design and planned and permanent redistribution of air traffic, and on providing airspace information this document explains the CAA's regulatory process for changes to airspace.
- CAP 1616f, Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Permanent Airspace Change Proposals
- Effective 2 January 2024, this publication provides guidance to the aviation industry on the airspace change process requirements for permanent airspace change proposals as set out in CAP 1616, Airspace Change Process.
- CAP 1616g, Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Temporary and Trial Airspace Change Proposals.
- Effective 18 March 2024, this publication provides guidance to the aviation industry on the airspace change process requirements for temporary and trial airspace change proposals
- CAP1616h, Guidance on Airspace Change Process for Level 3 and Pre-Scaled Airspace Change Proposals
- Effective 2 January 2024, this publication provides guidance to the aviation industry on the airspace change process requirements for permanent Level 3 and pre-scaled airspace change proposals.
- CAP 1616i, Environmental Assessment Requirements and Guidance for Airspace Change Proposals
- Effective 2 January 2024, this publication provides guidance to the aviation industry on providing environmental and habitats regulations assessments for airspace change proposals.
- CAP1617, 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.
- CAP1618, 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.
- 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)