The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025 immediately restrict all aircraft from flying below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within a one nautical mile radius centered on Mountain Ash, as this prohibition is deemed necessary by the Secretary of State due to an emergency affecting the public interest in that area; these restrictions remain in force until the emergency subsides and permit exceptions only for aircraft operating under the direction of the South Wales Police.
Arguments For
The immediate imposition of these regulations ensures public safety and order by restricting airspace access below 1,500 feet over a specific area during an unforeseen emergency.
Granting authority to the South Wales Police to override these restrictions provides necessary operational flexibility for emergency response coordination and incident management.
The clear definition of the restricted zone (Mountain Ash, 1 nautical mile radius) prevents ambiguity regarding the area affected by the emergency order.
Arguments Against
Imposing an immediate, broad flight restriction can disrupt legitimate local air operations, including essential services or necessary low-altitude surveillance, unless those operations are explicitly sanctioned.
Regulations enacted under emergency powers bypass standard consultation periods, potentially limiting input from affected stakeholders, such as local residents or aviation operators.
The lack of publicly detailed justification for the 'emergency' in the main text requires reliance on the Secretary of State’s assertion, which may raise questions about proportionality if the scope of the restriction is broad.
S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2025 No. 1373
CIVIL AVIATION
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025
Made ----at 7.20 a.m. on 31st December 2025
Coming into force with immediate effect
This confirms the document is a Statutory Instrument, numbered 1373 for the year 2025, specifically relating to Civil Aviation.
The instrument is titled 'The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025' and was formally made at 7:20 a.m. on December 31st, 2025, taking effect immediately.
The Secretary of State for a reason affecting the public interest deems it necessary to restrict flying in the area specified in the Schedule by reason of an emergency having arisen in that area.
The Secretary of State invokes the authority to impose specified flying restrictions because an emergency, which impacts the public interest, has occurred in the geographically defined area detailed in the Schedule.
The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016( a ).
The legal authority for creating these specific regulations comes from Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016, which grants the Secretary of State the power to issue such orders.
Citation and commencement
- These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Mountain Ash) (Emergency) Regulations 2025 and come into force with immediate effect.
This regulation confirms the official short title of the instrument and restates that the rules become legally operational as soon as they are published.
Restricted airspace
- No aircraft is to fly below 1,500 feet above mean sea level over the area specified in Column 1 of the Schedule, being an area bounded by a circle of the radius specified in Column 2 and centred on the position specified in Column 3.
- These Regulations do not apply to any aircraft flying in accordance with directions given by South Wales Police.
Regulation 2 establishes a mandatory flight restriction prohibiting aircraft from flying lower than 1,500 feet above sea level within the area defined in the Schedule.
Regulation 3 creates an exemption, allowing the restriction to be disregarded if an aircraft is operating based on specific instructions received from the South Wales Police.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
At 7.20 a.m. on 31st December 2025
Joseph Silverman Grade 7 Department for Transport
( a ) S.I. 2016/765, amended by S.I. 2024/990; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
This section authenticates the document, showing it was signed by Joseph Silverman on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport at the time the regulations were made.
It also provides the legal reference, noting that S.I. 2016/765, which is the primary Air Navigation Order, has been amended by S.I. 2024/990.
Table 1
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | |----------------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | Specified area | Radius of circle | Position of centre of circle (latitude and longitude) | | Mountain Ash | 1 nautical mile | 514114N 0032403W |
This table precisely defines the restricted airspace.
The area is named 'Mountain Ash,' has a defined radius of one nautical mile, and is centered geographically at latitude 51°41'14" North and longitude 003°24'03" West.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations impose restrictions of an emergency nature on flying in the area specified in the Schedule. They are intended to be of temporary duration and will be revoked as soon as the emergency in question has passed.
The Explanatory Note clarifies that the implemented flight restrictions are temporary and emergency-based, applying only to the specified area.
The rules indicate an intent to revoke them immediately once the underlying emergency situation concludes.
SCHEDULE
Regulation 2
The Schedule section formally references Regulation 2, indicating that the provisions laid out in that regulation define the enforceable boundaries of the restriction detailed in the preceding table.
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