UK GA airspace, safety guidance and CAA policy update
24 May 2026
A brisk week for UK general aviation, with the CAA leaning hard into consultation, guidance and policy work. If you’re planning sorties as the season builds, there’s plenty here that touches real flying: routes, events, infringements and the broader shape of the UK airspace conversation. The thread running through it all is familiar to anyone active in GA: access, safety and how the regulator wants the community to fit into a changing aviation landscape. There’s also a clear contrast between what GA is discussing on the ground and what government is choosing to spotlight elsewhere. Alongside the headlines, this week’s calendar is already filling up with summer flying events, from airfield gatherings to bigger showcases, so it’s a good moment to keep an eye on procedures, local rules and the paperwork before you head out.
CAA consults on Heathrow capacity-expansion regulatory options. The Civil Aviation Authority has opened a consultation on a shortlist of regulatory models for any future Heathrow capacity expansion, building on a working paper published in November 2025. The options under review range from strengthening the current framework, to a longer-term price-control approach, to more competitive delivery arrangements, including a model that could bring in an alternative developer for an asset such as a new terminal. The consultation runs until 15 June 2026, with the CAA planning a high-level update in July and a further document in the autumn setting out next steps. For UK general aviation readers, the significance is less about the airport itself than the shape of regulation around one of the country’s most important aviation projects, and the knock-on effects that broader capacity decisions can have across the system.
Before any fly-in or club event, check the host airfield’s joining instructions, display area restrictions and PPR requirements. The CAA’s new event guidance is a good prompt to brief yourself properly, especially if you’re arriving in a busy pattern with visiting traffic and mixed experience levels.
Glasgow Prestwick remains a notable UK GA and business aviation gateway, and its RNAV departure and arrival procedure update shows how even established airfields keep refining their published routes.
In the circuit
CAA wants to know what we think of North West Transit Corridor
The CAA is asking pilots and other airspace users for feedback as part of a Post Implementation Review of the North West Transit Corridor, which replaced the Manchester Low Level Route in February 2025. The review is looking at whether the change has improved safety, simplified the airspace picture, and kept General Aviation moving between Liverpool and Manchester controlled airspace. FLYER says the online survey is aimed at those who use the route, and it closes on 8 June 2026. For UK GA pilots, the article is a timely nudge to have a say on how the corridor is working in practice, especially given the corridor’s revised boundaries, procedures and higher upper limit.
Ultimate High to stage GA safety forum at Goodwood
Ultimate High and Goodwood Aviation are teaming up for a dedicated General Aviation Flight Safety Forum at Goodwood Aerodrome on Sunday 17 May 2026. The event is free to attend, limited to 100 places, and the article says 55 spaces were still available at the time of writing. The forum is pitched as a practical, evidence-based day with topics including upset prevention and recovery training, GA accident analysis, startle and surprise, human factors in loss-of-control accidents, engine management, landing technique and optional taster flights. Ultimate High says it hopes the forum will grow into a flagship annual safety event, with Mark Greenfield stressing shared learning and a stronger safety culture across UK GA.
CAA issues new safety guidance for events including fly-ins
The CAA has published CAP1988, a fresh set of safety guidance for air rallies, fly-ins, air races, contests and charity flying events. FLYER says it brings together advice that had previously been spread across several publications, and is aimed mainly at event organisers and others responsible for planning and running GA events. The key message is that safe operation should be properly planned and scaled to the size and complexity of the event, with emphasis on briefing material, arrival and circuit procedures, taxi and parking, public segregation, emergency planning and coordination with ATS. For larger public events, the guidance also covers mixed fixed-wing/helicopter operations, crowd control, drones, balloons, and lead times for permissions and notifications.
Govt ignores GA, emphasises drones and eVTOLs
The Department for Transport has set out its priorities for the UK CAA, but this FLYER piece says General Aviation is not mentioned at all. Instead, the letter leans heavily into drones, Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, Advanced Air Mobility, AI-enabled regulation and Heathrow expansion, with targets for routine drone services and eVTOL passenger flights by 2028. For UK GA pilots, the sting in the tail is the absence of any nod to pilot training, engineer shortages, or the long-running EGNOS issue. The article notes that this omission has already prompted frustration online, with pilots feeling that large parts of aviation have been passed over in favour of future tech and big-hub growth.
CAA infringement course moves from GASCo to AOPA UK
The CAA has appointed AOPA UK to run its Airspace Infringement Awareness Course after GASCo stepped away, keeping the scheme in place from April 2026. The article says the course remains part of the CAA’s education-led approach to airspace infringements, rather than a purely punitive response. FLYER notes that little is expected to change in practice: the same course structure and people are said to remain in place, with former GASCo administrator Penny Gould continuing, and pricing unchanged apart from VAT. AOPA stresses it has no say over who attends — that decision stays with the CAA — and that the course should continue on a cost-neutral basis.
CAA annual progress report 2025
The government’s written statement says the CAA’s annual progress report for 2025 covers progress on the Airspace Modernisation Strategy during the year, with the report itself spanning January to December 2025. The statement was published on 2 June 2026 and says the programme is now well into its third year after the strategy refresh, with modernisation framed as a priority for reliability, sustainability and future integration of new aviation technologies. For GA readers, the meat of it is the practical delivery work: UK Airspace Design Service has been established, a new support fund has been created for eligible airspace change sponsors outside that service, and 18 airports are advancing airspace change proposals, with Edinburgh and Glasgow already consulting. The CAA also reports continued work on integrating drones, including BVLOS consultation, electronic conspicuity requirements, and six new projects funded to support integration and BVLOS operations.
On the calendar
24 June 2026
Runways & Realities: Understanding GA Airfield Differences, Astral Aviation Consulting
On 24 June 2026, Astral Aviation Consulting is listed by FLYER for a UK GA event titled “Runways & Realities: Understanding GA Airfield Differences.” FLYER’s listing places it in its Events calendar for general aviation pilots and enthusiasts, though the page surfaced in search does not expose fuller venue or programme details. It looks like a useful chance for pilots to compare how different airfields operate, which is exactly the sort of practical knowledge that helps with planning, arrivals and day-to-day strip flying.
26 June 2026
Private Flyer Fest, North, Leeds East Airport
Private Flyer Fest, North runs 26–27 June 2026 at Leeds East Airport, Church Fenton, with PPR required for visiting aircraft. The Private Flyer Show site describes it as “the event for all personal flying,” making it a useful stop for UK GA pilots and enthusiasts looking to connect with the personal aviation community and see what’s on offer at one of the country’s active flying venues.
26 June 2026
Flexwing Fly-in, St Michaels Airfield
Held 26–28 June 2026 at St Michaels Airfield, Saint Michael's Road, Preston, this FLYER-listed flexwing fly-in is aimed at microlight and flexwing enthusiasts looking to gather, compare notes and enjoy a dedicated fly-in weekend. The listing notes no PPR is required, which makes it especially easy for UK GA pilots to plan a visit and join the action. Contact details and an event website via the BMAA are provided for anyone wanting to confirm arrangements.
27 June 2026
Charity Fly-in & Summer Fair, Sherlowe Airfield
On 2026-06-27, Sherlowe Airfield near High Ercall, Telford hosts its Charity Fly-in & Summer Fair, with PPR required and contact details listed by FLYER. The event is pitched as a fly-in alongside a summer fair, making it a tidy excuse for UK GA pilots to visit a grass strip and support a charitable day out. It looks especially appealing for pilots and enthusiasts who enjoy community airfield events with a social, family-friendly feel.
27 June 2026
Shuttleworth Festival of Flight Air Show, Old Warden
Held on 27–28 June 2026 at Old Warden Airfield near Biggleswade, the Shuttleworth Trust’s Festival of Flight returns as a weekend-long air show with UK and international visiting aircraft alongside serviceable Collection aircraft. Shuttleworth says the event also packs in free ground attractions across the site — from simulators and funfair rides to stunt shows, parades and Discovery Zones — plus access to Shuttleworth House and Swiss Garden. It’s a strong pick for UK GA pilots and enthusiasts because it combines heritage aircraft, a close-up airfield setting, family-friendly attractions and even optional camping for a full-on aviation weekend.