The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Air Force Waddington) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 17th Sept 26

Restricted flying in the vicinity of RAF Waddington on 26 September 2026 to ensure public safety during aerial displays.

These Regulations establish a temporary restricted airspace around Royal Air Force Waddington, Lincolnshire, to facilitate flying displays scheduled for 26 September 2026.

The order prohibits all aircraft from flying below 8,800 feet above mean sea level within a 5-nautical-mile radius of the station during a specified three-hour window.

These restrictions apply to all civil and military aviation, with specific exceptions for emergency services, police air support, and aircraft granted express permission by designated air traffic control units or the event's flying display director.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that the restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to scheduled flying displays.
The Explanatory Note states that the restrictions are required for public safety because multiple aircraft will be performing high-energy manoeuvres.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport have reached an agreement that these restrictions are appropriate for the event's vicinity.
The document specifies that the restrictions are temporary and limited to a specific altitude and radius to minimize broader airspace disruption.

Arguments Against

General aviation pilots may argue that temporary restricted areas (TRAs) complicate flight planning and increase the risk of accidental airspace infringement.
Commercial or private operators not qualifying for exemptions may face delays or fuel costs if required to reroute around the 5-nautical-mile radius.
Critics often point out that Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) references can lead to confusion for domestic pilots operating under British Summer Time (BST) if briefing materials are not clearly understood.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Air Force Waddington) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 26th September 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become legally active. The rules take effect on 26 September 2026.

Interpretation

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

This section clarifies that the operational times mentioned in the document use Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC).

This is a global time standard used in aviation, which is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 1100 hours and ending with 1400 hours on 26th September 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 8,800 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 5 nautical miles which is centred at 531001N 0003126W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply-

(a) insofar as flying is already prohibited by Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Ministry of Defence Prohibited Places) Regulations 2026( c ) or the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Prisons and Young Offender Institutions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2023( d ),
(b) to any aircraft operating in accordance with a permission issued by-
(i) the Royal Air Force Waddington Families Day Flying Display Director,
(ii) the Air Traffic Control Unit at Royal Air Force Waddington, or
(iii) the Royal Air Force Terminal Air Traffic Control Centre (Lincolnshire), or
(c) to any aircraft operated by or on behalf of-
(i) a Police Air Support Unit, or
(ii) an Emergency Medical Service.

This section creates a circular zone of restricted airspace with a 5-nautical-mile radius centered on RAF Waddington, extending from the ground up to 8,800 feet.

It prohibits flight within this zone between 11:00 and 14:00 UTC on 26 September 2026.

The prohibition does not apply to police or emergency medical flights, nor does it apply to aircraft that have received specific authorization from the event's flying display director or local RAF air traffic control units.

It also clarifies that these rules do not override existing flight restrictions for prisons or other sensitive Ministry of Defence sites.

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