Why UK airspace needs to be part of Labour’s infrastructure revolution

The UK’s airspace network is one of the busiest and most complex in the world, handling a quarter of Europe’s traffic despite having only 11 per cent of its airspace. The UK’s unique geography also makes it Europe’s transatlantic gateway, handling some 80 per cent of traffic on the Ocean.

The aviation industry contributes £22bn to the UK economy and supports 1,000,000 highly skilled jobs. With UK flights forecast to increase to more than 3m a year by 2030, a full redesign of airspace infrastructure is now under way – not only to cope with the demand that will be placed upon it but also to make best use of today’s technologies to reduce fuel burn (and therefore CO₂) and minimise noise for communities under flight paths.

While the real game-changers for the industry in terms of meeting the government’s decarbonisation targets are Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and the next generation of aircraft airframes and engines, these are still some years away at commercial scale.

Meanwhile the airspace modernisation programme is already delivering benefits – a visible demonstration of the industry’s commitment to decarbonise and improve efficiency.

But make no mistake, it’s hard to change airspace – it can take up to five years from concept to implementation for just a small area, with a complex process that must be followed and with public consultation required for any changes to arrival and departure routes at lower levels.

 “Recent changes are enabling some 60,000t of CO₂ savings every year”

Above 7,000ft, however, where efficiency takes priority over noise, changes to the airspace network are already under way. Since 2021 NATS, the UK’s major provider of air traffic services and responsible for this airspace network, has introduced changes which collectively are delivering, or enabling, CO₂ savings of some 60,000 tonnes every year – the equivalent of emissions from more than 17,000 family homes.

The biggest change so far, in March 2023 to the airspace network above 7,000ft over Southwest England and Wales, is already enabling savings of over 12,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

At even higher levels, above 24,500ft, we introduced Free Route Airspace (FRA), which allows aircraft to fly unrestricted through an area of airspace between defined entry and exit points, giving airlines the freedom to plan and fly their optimal route.

FRA has been in place in Scotland since 2021 where it is saving more than 12,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year. Later this year, together with Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports, we will be consulting on proposed changes to the network and to lower-level routes which will make Scotland the first part of the UK to have its airspace completely modernised.

The airspace modernisation programme has been government policy since 2018, and the new government has restated its commitment to it. To make it happen at the pace and scale required, industry, government and the CAA as regulator must agree a quicker and more efficient process for airspace change. The UK has always been a world leader in aviation, and it is up to all of us to ensure it stays that way.

We would welcome your support for airspace modernisation. If you would like to know more, visit www.nats.aero/airspace/future/ or contact callum.attew@nats.co.uk.

PoliticsHome Newsletters

Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House’s morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.