The Air Navigation Order 2016

CHAPTER 4 U.K. Other aerial activities

Mooring, tethering, towing, use of cables, etc. U.K.

92.—(1) This article applies to or in relation to—

(a) balloons except unmanned free balloons;

(b) gliders;

(c) kites;

(d) parascending parachutes; and

(e) airships,

within the United Kingdom (which are referred to in this article as “relevant aircraft”).

(2) A relevant aircraft which is launched, moored, tethered or [F1 ground towed] must not be operated—

(a) in such a manner as to—

(i) represent a hazard to other airspace users; or

(ii) without the permission of the CAA, result in any part of the relevant aircraft whilst it is being launched or [F1 ground towed], or its tether, mooring or towing equipment, extending more than 60 metres above ground level;

(b) within F2 ... airspace notified for the purpose of this article;

(c) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome except—

(i) during the day and in Visual Meteorological Conditions; and

(ii) with the permission of the person in charge of the aerodrome, the appropriate air traffic control unit or the CAA.

(3) A relevant aircraft which is flown, launched, moored, tethered or [F1 ground towed] must be operated in accordance with any guidance issued from time to time by the CAA relating to such operation.

(4) An airship—

(a) must not be moored within 2km of a congested area unless—

(i) it is moored on a notified aerodrome; or

(ii) it has the permission of the CAA;

(b) must not be moored within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome unless it has the permission of the person in charge of the aerodrome or the air traffic control unit;

(c) when moored in the open must be securely moored and must not be left unattended.

(5) A balloon—

(a) in captive flight must be securely moored and must not be left unattended unless it is fitted with a device which ensures its automatic deflation if it breaks free of its moorings;

(b) in captive or tethered flight must not be flown within 60 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure except with the permission of the person in charge of any such vessel, vehicle or structure.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in art. 92(2)(3) substituted (14.12.2017) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/1112), arts. 1, 22(a)

F2 Words in art. 92(2)(b) omitted (14.12.2017) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/1112), arts. 1, 22(b)

Release of small balloons U.K.

93.—(1) A person must not cause or permit—

(a) a group of small balloons of more than 1,000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site wholly or partly within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome unless that person has given to the CAA at least 28 days previous notice in writing of the release;

(b) a group of small balloons of more than 2,000 but not more than 10,000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site—

(i) within airspace notified for the purposes of this sub-paragraph; or

(ii) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome,

except with the permission of the CAA; and

(c) a group of small balloons greater than 10,000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site except with the permission of the CAA.

[F3 (2) In this article, a specified number of balloons counts as “simultaneously released at a single site” if released during a period of not more than 15 minutes from within an area not more than 1km square.]

Textual Amendments

F3 Art. 93(2) substituted (14.12.2017) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/1112), arts. 1, 23

Small unmanned aircraft [F4 : requirements] U.K.

F5 94.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F4 Word in art. 94 heading inserted (30.7.2018) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/623), arts. 1(2), 6(a)

F5 Art. 94 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 6 (with art. 13)

[F6 [F7 [F8 Certain unmanned aircraft: permission for flights that are over or near aerodromes U.K.

94A.— (1) If the permission that is required under paragraph (4) of this article for a flight, or a part of a flight, by an unmanned aircraft has not been obtained—

(a) the UAS operator must not cause or permit the unmanned aircraft to be flown on that flight or that part of the flight, and

(b) the remote pilot must not fly the unmanned aircraft on that flight or that part of that flight.]

F9 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F10 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) [F11 Subject to paragraph (4A),] permission for a flight, or a part of a flight, by [F12 an unmanned aircraft] in the flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome is required—

(a) from any air traffic control unit at the protected aerodrome, if the flight, or the part of the flight, takes place during the operational hours of the air traffic control unit;

(b) from any flight information service unit at the protected aerodrome, if the flight, or the part of the flight, takes place during the operational hours of the flight information service unit and either—

(i) there is no air traffic control unit at the protected aerodrome, or

(ii) the flight, or the part of the flight, takes place outside the operational hours of the air traffic control unit at the protected aerodrome;

(c) from the operator of the protected aerodrome, if—

(i) there is neither an air traffic control unit nor a flight information service unit at the protected aerodrome, or

(ii) the flight, or the part of the flight, takes place outside the operational hours of any such unit or units at the protected aerodrome.

[F13 (4A) Permission is not required under paragraph (4) for a flight, or a part of a flight, by an unmanned aircraft subject to certification.]

(5) In this article, “operational hours”, in relation to an air traffic control unit or flight information service unit, means the operational hours—

(a) notified in relation to the unit, or

(b) set out in the UK military AIP in relation to the unit.

(6) In this article and article 94B, “protected aerodrome” means—

(a) an F14 ... certified aerodrome,

(b) a Government aerodrome,

(c) a national licensed aerodrome, or

(d) an aerodrome that is prescribed, or of a description prescribed, for the purposes of this paragraph.

(7) The [F15 “flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome”] is to be determined for the purposes of this article in accordance with the following table—

Type of protected aerodrome	The “[F16 flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome]”
A protected aerodrome which is— (a) an F17 ... certified aerodrome, (b) a Government aerodrome, or (c) a national licensed aerodrome, and which has an aerodrome traffic zone.	The [F16 flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome] consists of— (a) the aerodrome traffic zone at the aerodrome, (b) any runway protection zones at the aerodrome, and (c) any additional boundary zones at the aerodrome.
A protected aerodrome which is— (a) an F17 ... certified aerodrome, (b) a Government aerodrome, or (c) a national licensed aerodrome, but which does not have an aerodrome traffic zone.	The [F16 flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome] consists of the airspace extending from the surface to a height of 2,000 feet above the level of the aerodrome within the area bounded by a circle centred on the notified mid-point of the longest runway and having a radius of two nautical miles. But if the longest runway does not have a notified mid-point, the mid-point of that runway is to be used instead for the purposes of determining the [F16 flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome].
A protected aerodrome that is prescribed, or of a description prescribed, under paragraph (6)(d).	The [F16 flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome] consists of the zone that is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph.

Textual Amendments

F6 Arts. 94A-94G inserted (30.7.2018 for specified purposes, 30.11.2019 in so far as not already in force) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/623), arts. 1(2)(4), 7

F7 Arts. 94A, 94B substituted (13.3.2019) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/261), arts. 1(2), 4

F8 Art. 94A(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(2) (with art. 13)

F9 Art. 94A(2) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(3) (with art. 13)

F10 Art. 94A(3) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(3) (with art. 13)

F11 Words in art. 94A(4) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(4)(a) (with art. 13)

F12 Words in art. 94A(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(4)(b) (with art. 13)

F13 Art. 94A(4A) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 7(5) (with art. 13)

F14 Word in art. 94A(6) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1593), regs. 1(2), 85(2)

F15 Words in art. 94A(7) substituted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(1)(a)

F16 Words in art. 94A(7) table substituted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(1)(b)

F17 Word in art. 94A(7) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1593), regs. 1(2), 85(2)

Interpretation of expressions used in the definition of [F18 “flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome”] U.K.

94B.— (1) This article makes provision about the meaning of expressions used in the definition of [F19 “flight restriction zone of a protected aerodrome”] in article 94A(7) that applies in relation to a protected aerodrome which is—

(a) an F20 ... certified aerodrome,

(b) a Government aerodrome, or

(c) a national licensed aerodrome,

and which has an aerodrome traffic zone.

(2) Subject to paragraph (4), there is one runway protection zone for each runway threshold of each runway at the aerodrome.

(3) A “runway protection zone”, in relation to a runway threshold at the aerodrome, is the airspace extending from the surface to a height of 2,000 feet above the level of the aerodrome within the area bounded by a rectangle—

(a) whose longer sides measure 5 km,

(b) whose shorter sides measure—

(i) 1 km (except in the case of Heathrow Airport), or;

(ii) 1.5 km, in the case of Heathrow Airport, and

(c) which is positioned so that—

(i) one of the shorter sides of the rectangle (“side A”) runs across the runway threshold, and

(ii) the two longer sides of the rectangle are parallel to, and equidistant from, the extended runway centre line as it extends from side A out to, and beyond, the runway end to which the runway threshold relates.

(4) There is no runway protection zone—

(a) for any runway threshold at the London Heliport;

(b) for any runway threshold that is prescribed, or of a description prescribed, for the purposes of this paragraph.

(5) The “runway threshold” of a runway at the aerodrome is the location that, for the purpose of demarcating the start of the portion of the runway that is useable for landing, is—

(a) notified as the threshold of the runway, or

(b) set out as the threshold of the runway in the UK military AIP.

(6) The “extended runway centre line”, in relation to a runway at the aerodrome, is an imaginary straight line which runs for the length of the runway along its centre and then extends beyond both ends of the runway.

(7) An “additional boundary zone” is the airspace extending from the surface to a height of 2,000 feet above the level of the aerodrome within any part of the area between—

(a) the boundary of the aerodrome, and

(b) a line that is 1 km from the boundary of the aerodrome (the “1 km line”),

that is neither within the aerodrome traffic zone nor within any runway protection zone at the aerodrome.

(8) The 1 km line is to be drawn so that the area which is bounded by it includes every location that is 1 km from the boundary of the aerodrome, measured in any direction from any point on the boundary.]]

Textual Amendments

F6 Arts. 94A-94G inserted (30.7.2018 for specified purposes, 30.11.2019 in so far as not already in force) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/623), arts. 1(2)(4), 7

F7 Arts. 94A, 94B substituted (13.3.2019) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/261), arts. 1(2), 4

F18 Words in art. 94B heading substituted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(2)

F19 Words in art. 94B(1) substituted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(2)

F20 Word in art. 94B(1)(a) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1593), regs. 1(2), 85(3)

[F21 Certain unmanned aircraft: permission for flights that are over or near space sites U.K.

94BA.— (1) If the permission that is required under paragraph (2) for a flight, or a part of a flight, by an unmanned aircraft has not been obtained—

(a) the UAS operator must not cause or permit the unmanned aircraft to be flown on that flight or that part of the flight, and

(b) the remote pilot must not fly the unmanned aircraft on that flight or that part of the flight.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), permission for a flight, or part of a flight, by an unmanned aircraft in the flight restriction zone of a protected space site is required from the operator of the protected space site.

(3) Permission is not required under paragraph (2) for a flight, or a part of a flight, by an unmanned aircraft subject to certification.

(4) In this article—

“protected space site” means—

(a)

a spaceport, as defined by section 3(2) of the Space Industry Act 2018, or

(b)

an installation at sea, at which controlled and planned landings of spacecraft take place or are to take place, which can be moved from place to place without major dismantling or modification,

which is not a certified aerodrome, a Government aerodrome or a national licensed aerodrome;

“spacecraft” has the meaning given in section 2(6) of the Space Industry Act 2018.

(5) The “flight restriction zone of a protected space site” consists of the airspace extending from the surface to a height of 2,000 feet above the level of the protected space site within the area bounded by a circle centred on the mid-point of the launch pad that has the largest area and which has a radius of five kilometres.]

Textual Amendments

F21 Art. 94BA inserted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(3)

Certain small unmanned aircraft: registration as an SUA operator U.K.

F22 94C.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F22 Art. 94C omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Certain small unmanned aircraft: requirement for registration as SUA operator U.K.

F23 94D.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F23 Art. 94D omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Certain small unmanned aircraft: competency of remote pilots U.K.

F24 94E.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F24 Art. 94E omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Certain small unmanned aircraft: requirement for acknowledgement of competency U.K.

F25 94F.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F25 Art. 94F omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Meaning of “remote pilot” and “SUA operator” U.K.

F26 94G.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F26 Art. 94G omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Small unmanned surveillance aircraft U.K.

F27 95.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F27 Art. 95 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1555), arts. 1(2), 8 (with art. 13)

Rockets U.K.

96.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this article applies to—

(a) small rockets of which the total impulse of the motor or combination of motors exceeds 160 Newton-seconds; and

(b) large rockets.

(2) This article does not apply to—

(a) an activity to which the Outer Space Act 1986 M1 applies; F28 ...

[F29 (aa) an activity to which the Space Industry Act 2018 applies; or]

(b) a military rocket.

(3) No person may launch a small rocket unless the conditions in paragraph (4), and any of the conditions in paragraphs [F30 (5) and (6)] which are applicable, are satisfied.

(4) The first condition is that the person launching the rocket is satisfied on reasonable grounds that—

(a) the flight can be safely made; and

(b) the airspace within which the flight will take place is, and will throughout the flight remain, clear of any obstructions including any aircraft in flight.

(5) The second condition is that the person launching the rocket on a flight within controlled airspace has obtained the permission of the appropriate air traffic control unit for aircraft flying in that airspace.

(6) The third condition is that the person launching the rocket on a flight within an aerodrome traffic zone of an aerodrome during its notified operating hours—

(a) has obtained the permission of the air traffic control unit at the aerodrome; or

(b) if there is no air traffic control unit, has obtained from the aerodrome flight information service unit at that aerodrome information to enable the flight within the zone to be conducted safely; or

(c) if there is no air traffic control unit and no aerodrome flight information service unit, has obtained information from the air/ground communications service unit at that aerodrome to enable the flight to be conducted safely;

F31 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8) A flight by a large rocket must be carried out under and in accordance with a permission granted by the CAA to the person launching the rocket.

[F32 (9) The CAA may only grant permission under paragraph (8) if satisfied that—

(a) the person launching the rocket—

(i) has provided a safety case which demonstrates that the risks to public safety and to property are as low as reasonably practicable; and

(ii) has in place adequate insurance arrangements in respect of those risks for each proposed launch; and

(b) the level of risk to public safety and to property is acceptable to the CAA.]

Textual Amendments

F28 Word in art. 96(2)(a) omitted (19.8.2021) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(4)(a)

F29 Art. 96(2)(aa) inserted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(4)(b)

F30 Words in art. 96(3) substituted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(4)(c)

F31 Art. 96(7) omitted (19.8.2021) by virtue of The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(4)(d)

F32 Art. 96(9) inserted (19.8.2021) by The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/879), arts. 1(1), 5(4)(e)

Marginal Citations

M1 1986 c.38.