Airspace redesign

This is the latest in a rolling programme of UK airspace reviews. There are a number of reasons for reviewing the way airspace is managed:

• Safety: Our overriding priority is to ensure the safe movement of aircraft. As the skies become busier we review the way airspace is managed to ensure we can maintain and enhance our high safety standards.
• Delay: We are required under our licence from the CAA to be capable of meeting any reasonable level of overall demand. Busier, congested skies lead to flight delays and this airspace change proposal is designed to address that.
• Environment: We recognise the effects of aviation on the environment and a key aim of this process is to minimise those effects wherever possible.

Work on this proposal started in 2004 and has involved discussions with local authorities, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the Armed Forces, airports, airlines and other aviation organisations.

The range of interests raises many different expectations and our challenge has been to find the most accommodating overall solution. At the end of the consultation period we must demonstrate to the CAA that we have achieved the very best balance of demands and objectives.

Our overriding priority is safety and the TCN design primarily seeks to assure future safety while also seeking to demonstrate significant efficiency gains and an overall environmental benefit.

For full details on the airspace design process please refer to the consultation document.