Skip to main content
European and national projects have been working on improving airspace infrastructure to deliver a more efficient use of airspace, more direct routes, and subsequent fuel and CO2 savings. Gatwick Airport has its departure route changes approved in 2013, and after a comprehensive study of flight paths flown and feedback from the general public we have […]
As part of the ‘Your Right to Fly’ programme, passengers with a disability or reduced mobility will now be able to quickly find links to essential information from a single source. Our new web directory is a single webpage which includes direct links to the special assistance of all the UK’s airports and major airlines flying to […]
Continuing on from our work to reduce the regulatory burden on the general aviation sector, two new training syllabuses for private pilot training have been published, both of which aim to be more relevant to today’s flight training environment by including modern learning methods and skills appropriate to today’s complex aviation environment. This will affect […]
Since the last update we have: – Allowed balloon and glider pilots to use some new types of handheld radios, – Endorsed more training organisations through PROUD, – Launched a consultation to review the UK Air Navigation Order, – Updated the EASA PPL(H) and LAPL(H) theoretical knowledge syllabus, – And more, which you can see here.
The requirement for microlights to be re-weighed every five years is to be removed, following a joint proposal from the British Microlight Aircraft Association and the Light Aircraft Association. Having checked that all existing microlight manufacturers are weighing all aircraft at the point of initial production, we are now happy to remove these requirements in […]
An enhanced certification process involving more legally binding safety standards aims to raise safety levels for the over 300 helidecks in UK waters. This will give organisations accredited and overseen by the CAA the power to stop flights to helidecks that fail to meet the minimum standards. The announcement is the latest move to improve offshore […]
The Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group has proposed a series of changes to improve the safety of helicopter operations to the 116 offshore installations in the North Sea. The new proposals are primarily aimed at preventing incidents from occuring in the first place, and initial proposals increase both safety and survivability, especially in terms of […]
In 2014, 238 million passengers used UK airports, but how did they begin the journey? Our latest passenger survey report shows that significantly more people departing from the five London airports decide to make use of public transport, while those flying from other regional airports are much more likely to get there by private transport. […]
Handheld 8.33kHz channel spaced VHF radios can now be used in balloons, gliders, and dirigibles / non-rigid airships, and from the end of 2018 all aircraft radios must be able to use 8.33kHz channels. Check that any radio equipment conforms to the new requirements here.
The CAA intends to reduce the frequency of full-scale emergency plan exercises from three to every four years, coming into effect November 1st 2015. Modular tests should continue to be carried out alongside these. It is hoped these changes will improve the level of support that external emergency services are able to commit to aerodrome […]
Significant numbers of passengers attempt to take hand baggage with them when evacuating an aircraft, despite instructions provided in pre-flight briefings and safety cards. This risks slowing evacuation, injuring others and damaging equipment. We must reduce the incidence of this, so operators are advised to seriously review both the methods they use to provide pre-flight safety […]
The fuel shutoff valves on some Boeing aircraft have been deemed potentially unsafe, and may require regular testing or replacement. If you are the operator of any B737, B757, B767, B777, or B787 aircraft check the EASA airworthiness website for specifics on how to address this issue.
The new Aerodrome Weather Warning Service will be launched on October 27th, 2015. Users and aerodromes can check the Met Office website for current warnings, or register to receive updates by email.
We commissioned the University of Liverpool to research the effect of wind turbine wake on aircraft operations. This new report will help general aviation and helicopter pilots understand the need to remain clear of wind turbine wake turbulence. It will also help safer planning of wind turbines near aviation related sites. CAP 764 sets out […]
To set up a new subscription, select the categories of alerts that you would like to receive by email.
Download the SkyWise app to have personalised alerts sent straight to your phone! Once you register your details and and configure your ‘flightdeck’ you will receive alerts relevant to your interests straight to your phone. You can also use the app to subscribe to email alerts. Pink alerts are urgent so read them ASAP, and […]
Here you can see all of our alerts. Select a category to see the relevant headlines, sorted by date, and click on one to read the full alert.
Aviation is a dynamic industry, and SkyWise allows you to stay up-to-date with news, safety alerts, consultations, rule changes, airspace amendments and more from the CAA. It replaces our previous information notices and keeps you up to date with information that isn’t safety critical, with a more instant, tailored service. Safety critical information and Official […]
A consultation to simplify many of the national regulations that affect UK General Aviation (GA) is now underway, following an earlier event in March. Responses to this have been extremely positive, so we will go ahead with detailed proposals on changes to rules surrounding pilot licensing, operations and airworthiness with a view to deregulating where […]
As part of our on-going campaign to safeguard the rights of UK air passengers, we are taking enforcement action against Ryanair following a review that found it is not complying fully with European consumer law designed to support passengers following flight disruption. We are not satisfied that Ryanair is dealing correctly with compensation claims, and […]
The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) has become the second recipient of our new training approval initiative as part of the Pilot Recognition for Operational Up-skilling and Development scheme (PROUD), set up to improve the general skill level of private pilots. The LAA’s Wings award scheme offers a series of activities to broaden pilots’ interests, creates […]
Experts have now been officially appointed to an independent challenge panel set up to guide our review of air show safety. This review aims to provide a robust evaluation of existing guidance, processes and regulations relating to civil air displays. To achieve this, we have brought in representatives of the flying display community, the Military […]
Following an extensive review of airline policies, we became concerned that some airlines were not complying with UK regulations surrounding passenger compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. We are pleased to announce that these airlines will now offer passengers better support during disruption – agreeing to pay compensation for ordinary technical faults, process compensation claims […]
More than 2,000 holidaymakers are being assisted by the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) protection scheme following the collapse of Exclusive Escapes, a specialist travel company based out of Surrey. The company had around 500 people abroad at the time, so the CAA has been in touch with hotels and airlines to ensure all their […]
Although the UK already has some of the highest safety standards in the world for major civil air displays, following the recent accident at Shoreham, we must take action to restrict the operation of vintage jet aircraft. Although investigations have not yet determined the cause of the accident, precautionary measures including temporarily grounding all Hawker […]
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has become the first organisation to be endorsed under our new good training provider scheme. Their established Wings award scheme has been judged as worthy of the Pilot Recognition for Operational Up-skilling and Development (PROUD) initiative. PROUD aims to improve the general skill level of pilots, so the […]
As long as private pilots meet certain basic requirements they will now be able to apply for blanket permission to offer flights for charity, rather than having to apply for each individual flight. These changes instead place more emphasis on pilots providing a thorough explanation of safety standards and potential risks to any passengers prior […]
This year has seen the highest rolling 12 month passenger total since records began, with UK terminals handling the largest number of passengers in the first quarter since before the global financial crisis. These figures seem only to be growing, so to keep in the loop, check out our infographic.
We want to be able to embrace drone technology, but must ensure this is done with all airspace users in mind. Drone users need to understand that they are entering into one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world, a hugely complex system that requires them to be aware of the regulations that keep […]
Holders of examiner certificates issued by European Aviation Safety Agency member state authorities other than the UK CAA must review and implement the written material supplied by the UK, which can be found in the EASA examiner differences document. Non-UK examiners must also notify the CAA in advance of each skill test, proficiency check, and assessment […]