http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/31/section/63Airports Act 1986An Act to provide for the dissolution of the British Airports Authority and the vesting of its property, rights and liabilities in a company nominated by the Secretary of State; to provide for the reorganisation of other airport undertakings in the public sector; to provide for the regulation of the use of airports and for the imposition of economic controls at certain airports; to make other amendments of the law relating to airports; to make provision with respect to the control of capital expenditure by local authority airport undertakings; and for connected purposes.1986-07-08texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-05-05Expert Participation2026-04-06 Airports Act 1986s. 59(7)(8)Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026Deddf Cynllunio (Darpariaethau Canlyniadol) (Cymru) 2026Sch. 2 para. 215(b)Sch. 5 Pt. 1s. 5(2)Airports Act 1986s. 61(6)(aa)Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026Deddf Cynllunio (Darpariaethau Canlyniadol) (Cymru) 2026Sch. 2 para. 216(6)(c)Sch. 5 Pt. 1s. 5(2)Airports Act 1986ActScotland Act 1998s. 30 Sch. 5 Pt. 2 s. E4(f)Airports Act 1986s. 63(8)The Local Government (Transitional and Consequential Provisions and Revocations) (Scotland) Order 1996art. 7(1) Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 7(a)Airports Act 1986s. 63(8)The Local Government (Transitional and Consequential Provisions and Revocations) (Scotland) Order 1996art. 7(1) Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 7(b)Airports Act 1986s. 63(8)The Local Government (Transitional and Consequential Provisions and Revocations) (Scotland) Order 1996art. 7(2) Sch. 2Airports Act 1986s. 12(1) (defn. of "principal council") para. (aa)Local Government (Wales) Act 1994s. 66(6) Sch. 16 para. 77Airports Act 1986s. 12(1) (defn. of "principal council") para. (a)Local Government (Wales) Act 1994s. 66(6)(8) Sch. 16 para. 77 Sch. 18Airports Act 1986s. 12(1) (defns. "local authority""principal council") para. (b)Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994Sch. 13 para. 147Airports Act 1986ActThe Local Authorities (Executive and Alternative Arrangements) (Modification of Enactments and Other Provisions) (England) Order 2001art. 2 Part VI631Where an airport is either—adesignated for the purposes of this section by an order made by the Secretary of State, orbmanaged by the Secretary of State,the airport operator (whether the Secretary of State or some other person) may make byelaws for regulating the use and operation of the airport and the conduct of all persons while within the airport.2Any such byelaws may, in particular, include byelaws—afor securing the safety of aircraft, vehicles and persons using the airport and preventing danger to the public arising from the use and operation of the airport;bfor controlling the operation of aircraft within, or directly above, the airport for the purpose of limiting or mitigating the effect of noise, vibration and atmospheric pollution caused by aircraft using the airport;cfor preventing obstruction within the airport;dfor regulating vehicular traffic anywhere within the airport, except on roads within the airport to which the road traffic enactments apply, and in particular (with that exception) for imposing speed limits on vehicles within the airport and for restricting or regulating the parking of vehicles or their use for any purpose or in any manner specified in the byelaws;efor prohibiting waiting by hackney carriages except at standings appointed by such person as may be specified in the byelaws;ffor prohibiting or restricting access to any part of the airport;gfor preserving order within the airport and preventing damage to property within it;hfor regulating or restricting advertising within the airport;ifor req uiring any person, if so requested by a constable or airport official, to leave the airport or any particular part of it, or to state his name and address and the purpose of his being within the airport;jfor securing the safe custody and redelivery of any property which, while not in proper custody, is found within the airport or in an aircraft within the airport, and in particular—ifor requiring charges to be paid in respect of any such property before it is redelivered; andiifor authorising the disposal of any such property if it is not redelivered before the end of such period as may be specified in the byelaws;kfor restricting the area which is to be taken as constituting the airport for the purposes of the byelaws.3In paragraph (d) of subsection (2) “the road traffic enactments” means the enactments (whether passed before or after this Act) relating to road traffic, including the lighting and parking of vehicles, and any order or other instrument having effect by virtue of any such enactment.4In paragraph (i) of subsection (2) “airport official” means a person authorised by the airport operator; and any such official shall not exercise any power under a byelaw made by virtue of that paragraph without producing written evidence of his authority if required to do so.5Byelaws made under this section by a person other than the Secretary of State shall not have effect until they are confirmed by the Secretary of State, and the provisions of Schedule 3 shall apply to any such byelaws.6Before any byelaws are made by the Secretary of State under this section, he shall take such steps as appear to him to be appropriate for giving public notice of the proposed byelaws and for affording an opportunity for representations to be made with respect to them; and the Secretary of State shall have regard to any such representations and may then make the byelaws in the form proposed or in that form with such modifications as he thinks fit.7Any byelaws made by the Secretary of State under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.8Section 236(9) of the Local Government Act 1972 and section 202(13) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (notice of byelaws made by one local authority to be given to another) and section 237 of the Act of 1972 and section 203 of the Act of 1973 (penalties) shall not apply to any byelaws made by a local authority under this section.631Where an airport is either—adesignated for the purposes of this section by an order made by the Secretary of State, orbmanaged by the Secretary of State,the airport operator (whether the Secretary of State or some other person) may make byelaws for regulating the use and operation of the airport and the conduct of all persons while within the airport.2Any such byelaws may, in particular, include byelaws—afor securing the safety of aircraft, vehicles and persons using the airport and preventing danger to the public arising from the use and operation of the airport;bfor controlling the operation of aircraft within, or directly above, the airport for the purpose of limiting or mitigating the effect of noise, vibration and atmospheric pollution caused by aircraft using the airport;cfor preventing obstruction within the airport;dfor regulating vehicular traffic anywhere within the airport, except on roads within the airport to which the road traffic enactments apply, and in particular (with that exception) for imposing speed limits on vehicles within the airport and for restricting or regulating the parking of vehicles or their use for any purpose or in any manner specified in the byelaws;efor prohibiting waiting by hackney carriages except at standings appointed by such person as may be specified in the byelaws;ffor prohibiting or restricting access to any part of the airport;gfor preserving order within the airport and preventing damage to property within it;hfor regulating or restricting advertising within the airport;ifor req uiring any person, if so requested by a constable or airport official, to leave the airport or any particular part of it, or to state his name and address and the purpose of his being within the airport;jfor securing the safe custody and redelivery of any property which, while not in proper custody, is found within the airport or in an aircraft within the airport, and in particular—ifor requiring charges to be paid in respect of any such property before it is redelivered; andiifor authorising the disposal of any such property if it is not redelivered before the end of such period as may be specified in the byelaws;kfor restricting the area which is to be taken as constituting the airport for the purposes of the byelaws.3In paragraph (d) of subsection (2) “the road traffic enactments” means the enactments (whether passed before or after this Act) relating to road traffic, including the lighting and parking of vehicles, and any order or other instrument having effect by virtue of any such enactment.4In paragraph (i) of subsection (2) “airport official” means a person authorised by the airport operator; and any such official shall not exercise any power under a byelaw made by virtue of that paragraph without producing written evidence of his authority if required to do so.5Byelaws made under this section by a person other than the Secretary of State shall not have effect until they are confirmed by the Secretary of State, and the provisions of Schedule 3 shall apply to any such byelaws.6Before any byelaws are made by the Secretary of State under this section, he shall take such steps as appear to him to be appropriate for giving public notice of the proposed byelaws and for affording an opportunity for representations to be made with respect to them; and the Secretary of State shall have regard to any such representations and may then make the byelaws in the form proposed or in that form with such modifications as he thinks fit.7Any byelaws made by the Secretary of State under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.8Section 236(9) of the Local Government Act 1972 . . . (notice of byelaws made by one local authority to be given to another) and section 237 of that Act and section 203 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (penalties) shall not apply to any byelaws made by a local authority under this section.This version of this provision extends to England and Wales only; a separate version has been created for Scotland only1973 c. 65. This version of this provision extends to Scotland only; a separate version has been created for England and Wales onlyWords in s. 63(8) repealed (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/739, art. 7(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 7(a), Sch. 2Words in s. 63(8) substituted (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/739, art. 7(1), Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 7(b)