The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Notting Hill) Regulations 2026

Published: Wed 12th Aug 26

Prohibited unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,200 feet in the Notting Hill area during the 2026 Carnival period.

These Regulations prohibit the operation of unmanned aircraft at altitudes below 1,200 feet within a specific area of Notting Hill, London, during the 2026 Notting Hill Carnival.

The restriction applies to all drone operators from 0700 hours on 30 August 2026 until 0100 hours on 1 September 2026, unless they have obtained specific permission from the Metropolitan Police Service Air Support Unit.

The measure aims to ensure public safety by managing airspace over large crowds.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to the expected gathering of a large number of persons.
The explanatory note states that the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree the measures are necessary for public safety and security.
The regulations provide a mechanism for authorized flight via permission from the Metropolitan Police Service Air Support Unit, allowing for oversight of necessary aerial activity.

Arguments Against

Operators of unmanned aircraft may argue that the 1,200-foot ceiling and 1-nautical-mile radius limit commercial or recreational use in a significant portion of West London.
The reliance on Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) rather than British Summer Time (BST) in the regulatory text may lead to confusion for pilots regarding the exact start and end times of the restriction.
Stakeholders may question the necessity of a dedicated instrument if existing regulations, such as the Hyde Park restrictions, already cover portions of the affected airspace.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Notting Hill) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 30th August 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations.

It sets the date on which the legal requirements become active as 30 August 2026.

Interpretation

The times referred to in regulation 3(1) are Co-ordinated Universal Time( b ).

This section specifies that all time references in the document use Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC).

This requires readers to account for the one-hour difference from British Summer Time (BST) when determining when the flight ban is in effect.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 0700 hours on 30th August 2026 and ending with 0100 hours on 1st September 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 1 nautical mile which is centred at 513108N 0001219W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any unmanned aircraft-

(a) insofar as flying is already prohibited by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Hyde Park) Regulations 2017( c ), or
(b) flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Metropolitan Police Service Air Support Unit.

This section prohibits the flight of unmanned aircraft, such as drones, within a one-nautical-mile radius of central Notting Hill at altitudes under 1,200 feet.

The restriction remains in place from the morning of 30 August until the early morning of 1 September 2026.

Exemptions are granted for aircraft that are already restricted by previous Hyde Park regulations or those that have received explicit written permission from the Metropolitan Police Service Air Support Unit.

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