Part I

Offences Against the Safety of Aircraft Etc.

Other acts endangering or likely to endanger safety of aircraft.
3
1
It shall, subject to subsections (5) and (6) below, be an offence for any person unlawfully and intentionally to destroy or damage any property to which this subsection applies, or to interfere with the operation of any such property, where the destruction, damage or interference is likely to endanger the safety of aircraft in flight.
2
Subsection (1) above applies to any property used for the provision of air navigation facilities, including any land, building or ship so used, and including any apparatus or equipment so used, whether it is on board an aircraft or elsewhere.
3
It shall also, subject to subsections (4) and (5) below, be an offence for any person intentionally to communicate any information which is false, misleading or deceptive in a material particular, where the communication of the information endangers the safety of an aircraft in flight or is likely to endanger the safety of aircraft in flight.
4
It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (3) above to prove—
a
that he believed, and had reasonable grounds for believing, that the information was true; or
b
that, when he communicated the information, he was lawfully employed to perform duties which consisted of or included the communication of information and that he communicated the information in good faith in the performance of those duties.
5
Subsections (1) and (3) above shall not apply to the commission of any act unless either the act is committed in the United Kingdom, or, where it is committed outside the United Kingdom—
a
the person committing it is a United Kingdom national; or
b
the commission of the act endangers or is likely to endanger the safety in flight of a civil aircraft registered in the United Kingdom or chartered by demise to a lessee whose principal place of business, or (if he has no place of business) whose permanent residence, is in the United Kingdom; or
c
the act is committed on board a civil aircraft which is so registered or so chartered; or
d
the act is committed on board a civil aircraft which lands in the United Kingdom with the person who committed the act still on board.
6
Subsection (1) above shall also not apply to any act committed outside the United Kingdom and so committed in relation to property which is situated outside the United Kingdom and is not used for the provision of air navigation facilities in connection with international air navigation, unless the person committing the act is a United Kingdom national.
7
A person who commits an offence under this section shall be liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
8
In this section civil aircraft means any aircraft other than an aircraft used in military, customs or police service and unlawfully has the same meaning as in section 2 of this Act.
S. 3 extended (with modifications) (Jersey) (12.6.1993) by S.I. 1993/1251 , art. 2(1) , Sch. 1 Pt.I
S. 3 extended (with modifications) (Guernsey) (17.1.1998) by S.I. 1997/2989 , art. 2(1) , Sch. 1 Pt. I , II
Pt. I applied (with modifications) (6.12.2000) by S.I. 2000/3059 , art. 3(1) , Schs. 2 , 3 (as amended (1.5.2016) by The Aviation Security and Piracy (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/369), arts. 3, 4)