Reform of airspace changes planned after PM’s growth plea

Proposals to simplify the UK’s airspace change process have been announced after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged regulators to do more to prioritise growth.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it has launched a consultation on plans to make the procedure “more proportionate” while remaining “transparent and evidence-based”.

Much of the way the UK’s airspace is used dates back to the 1950s, when there were fewer flights and aircraft navigated using ground-based beacons.

Airports request permission from the CAA to change flight paths for arrivals and departures to generate improvements on issues such as safety, capacity and emissions.

They must navigate a seven-step process, but this will be reduced to four steps under the regulator’s proposals, by removing requirements such as creating a longlist of options and consulting at every stage, in some cases.

It is hoped this will shorten the time it takes to grant permission for airspace changes to be implemented.

The current process was first introduced in 2018 and updated in 2023, but is being reformed partly to take account of the upcoming creation of the UK Airspace Design Service.

The organisation will be established by the end of the year to make flight routes more efficient.

Sir Keir wrote to regulators in December last year calling on them to come up with ways to encourage growth.

There have been long-standing calls for airspace reforms for the four largest airports serving London – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton – as well as Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.

The London area is seen as the biggest priority for changes as it receives 52% of the UK’s flights, so has the potential for the largest benefits.

But it is also difficult for changes in the region to be approved, largely because of noise concerns with the high number of residents, and how busy the skies are.

Major changes will be required if a third runway is built at Heathrow, as the annual number of flights serving the airport could rise from 480,000 today to 720,000.

CAA chief executive Rob Bishton said: “Airspace is one of the UK’s most important pieces of national infrastructure.

“If we want our aviation system to grow in line with planning system decisions, be resilient, compete internationally and adapt to new technologies, the way we manage and modernise that airspace must also evolve.

“This consultation sets out reforms that will make the system simpler and more proportionate, while retaining the key evidence and transparent approach.

“It is a critical step towards delivering the airspace modernisation the UK needs.”

The consultation closes on December 18.