The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2021

Statutory Instruments

2021 No. 748 (C. 37)

Civil Aviation

The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2021

Made

20th June 2021

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 21(3) and (4) of the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021(1), makes the following Regulations.

Citation and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Provisions coming into force on 29th June 2021

2.  29th June 2021 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021—

(a) section 9 (Licensed air traffic services: modifying the licence and related appeals);

(b) section 10 (Air traffic services licensed under Part 1 of the Transport Act 2000: enforcement);

(c) section 11 (Air traffic services: consequential amendments);

(d) section 13 (Powers of police officers and prison authorities), so far as not already in force;

(e) section 15 (Fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft), so far as not already in force;

(f) Schedule 3 (Modification of licence conditions under section 11 of the Transport Act 2000: appeals);

(g) Schedule 4 (New Schedule A1 to the Transport Act 2000);

(h) Schedule 5 (New Schedule B1 to the Transport Act 2000);

(i) Schedule 6 (New Schedule C1 to the Transport Act 2000);

(j) Schedule 7 (Air traffic services: consequential amendments);

(k) Schedule 8 (Unmanned aircraft: powers of police officers and prison authorities), so far as not already in force; and

(l) Schedule 10 (Fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft), so far as not already in force.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Robert Courts

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Department for Transport

20th June 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These are the first commencement regulations made under the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 (c. 12) (“the Act”). They bring Parts 2 and 3 of the Act into force on 29th June 2021, insofar as they are not brought into force by section 21 of the Act.

Part 2 of the Act concerns air traffic. Regulation 2 brings sections 9 to 11 and Schedules 3 to 7 into force on 29th June 2021. These provisions update the regulatory framework governing the provision of en route air traffic services. Section 12 (which concerns airport slot allocation) came into force upon Royal Assent on 29th April 2021 (see section 21 of the Act).

Part 3 of the Act makes provision in relation to police enforcement powers to tackle unlawful use of unmanned aircraft. Section 21(1) of the Act brought some provisions of Part 3 into force upon Royal Assent on 29th April 2021, in some cases only for the purpose of making regulations, and section 21(2) brings section 14 and Schedule 9 into force for all other purposes on 29th June 2021. Regulation 2 brings the remaining provisions of Part 3 into force for all other purposes on 29th June 2021.

(1)

2021 c. 12.