The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Durham) Regulations 2026

Published: Fri 19th Jun 26

The Secretary of State for Transport establishes a temporary restricted airspace in Durham, County Durham, to manage unmanned aircraft flight during a large public gathering.

The regulations prohibit the flight of unmanned aircraft below 1,400 feet above mean sea level within a 1.5 nautical mile radius of a specified central coordinate on July 11, 2026.

These restrictions apply to all unmanned aircraft operators, except those who obtain explicit permission from the Durham Constabulary Drone Operations Manager.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that the restriction is necessary in the public interest because a large number of people are expected to gather in the specified area.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport state that the measures are required for reasons of public safety and security.
The document provides a mechanism for authorized flight, allowing the Durham Constabulary Drone Operations Manager to grant specific permissions for unmanned aircraft to operate within the restricted zone.

Arguments Against

Operators of unmanned aircraft may argue that the 1.5 nautical mile radius and 1,400-foot altitude limit disproportionately restrict recreational or commercial activities in Durham.
Civil liberties groups or drone enthusiasts might question the necessity of a total ban for safety, suggesting that existing air safety regulations could suffice without a temporary statutory instrument.
Legal analysts may note that the document relies on the discretion of a single individual—the Durham Constabulary Drone Operations Manager—to grant exemptions, without outlining the specific criteria for such permissions.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Durham) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 11th July 2026.

This section establishes the official title of the statutory instrument.

It sets the date the regulations become legally enforceable as July 11, 2026.

Interpretation

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

This provision clarifies that all time references in the regulations use Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC).

This standard is noted to be one hour behind British Summer Time (BST) during the effective period.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), beginning with 0500 hours and ending with 2000 hours on 11th July 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,400 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 1.5 nautical miles centred at 544626N 0013434W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any unmanned aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Durham Constabulary Drone Operations Manager.

The regulations prohibit unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,400 feet within a specific 1.5 nautical mile radius from 05:00 to 20:00 UTC on July 11, 2026.

This restriction creates a temporary flight exclusion zone for drones in the specified area.

An exception is provided for flights authorized by the Durham Constabulary Drone Operations Manager.

Operators with such permission are exempt from the general flight prohibition.

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