The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Silverstone Grand Prix) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 18th Jun 26

These Regulations prohibit aircraft from flying below 3,500 feet above mean sea level within a specified 5.5 nautical mile radius of Silverstone during the 2026 British Grand Prix.

The Secretary of State issues these directions to manage airspace safety between 3 July and 5 July 2026, exempting only aircraft with permission from the Silverstone heliport air traffic control unit, police air support, or emergency medical services.

The restrictions apply to all civil and military pilots not meeting the specific exemption criteria during the designated hours.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State states that the restrictions are necessary in the public interest because of the intended holding of the Silverstone Grand Prix.
The explanatory note asserts that the restrictions are required for reasons of public safety due to the gathering of a large number of persons attending the event.
The document notes that a significant number of helicopters will be engaged in transporting spectators, necessitating managed airspace to ensure safety.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree that flying should be restricted in the vicinity of the event to manage the high volume of aerial activity.

Arguments Against

Aviation stakeholders may argue that the 5.5 nautical mile radius and altitude limit of 3,500 feet restrict the movement of private pilots and commercial operators not involved in the event.
General aviation organizations often observe that temporary flight restrictions can disrupt scheduled flight training or local aerodrome traffic, such as those at nearby Turweston Aerodrome.
Critics of such regulations may question the necessity of specific time windows (e.g., up to 14 hours on race day) as being broader than the peak activity periods of the event itself.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Silverstone Grand Prix) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 3rd July 2026.

This section establishes the official title of the legal instrument for citation purposes.

It sets the date of 3 July 2026 as the time when the regulations become legally enforceable.

Interpretation

In regulation 3(2) the times referred to are Co-ordinated Universal Time( b ).

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

UTC functions as the international standard for regulated time and is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST) during the period these regulations are active.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (3), during the periods specified in paragraph (2) no aircraft is to fly below 3,500 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 5.5 nautical miles which is centred at 520351N 0010056W.

(2) The periods referred to in paragraph (1) begin with-

(a) 0800 hours and end with 1800 hours on 3rd July 2026,
(b) 0700 hours and end with 1900 hours on 4th July 2026, and
(c) 0600 hours and end with 2000 hours on 5th July 2026.

(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any aircraft-

(a) operating in accordance with a permission issued by the air traffic control unit at Silverstone heliport, or
(b) operated by or on behalf of-
(i) a Police Air Support Unit, or
(ii) an Emergency Medical Service.

This section defines the geographic and vertical boundaries of the restricted airspace, centered on the Silverstone circuit.

It specifies the exact time windows over a three-day period during which flight is prohibited unless an exemption applies.

Exemptions are granted to police and medical emergency flights, as well as any aircraft that obtains specific clearance from the air traffic control unit at Silverstone heliport.

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