The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Tottenham, London) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 18th Jun 26

These Regulations establish a temporary restricted airspace zone over Tottenham, London, to manage aviation safety during a series of music concerts.

The order prohibits aircraft from flying below 1,100 feet above mean sea level within a 0.5 nautical mile radius of a specified coordinate during six distinct periods between June 27 and July 16, 2026.

These restrictions apply to all aircraft except those with permission from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Air Cell or those operated by police and emergency medical services.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to the intended gathering of a large number of persons at the specified location.
The explanatory note states that the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree that these measures are required for reasons of public safety and security during scheduled music concerts.
The regulations provide specific exemptions for emergency services, including Police Air Support Units and Emergency Medical Services, to ensure essential operations are not hindered.
The document specifies a mechanism for authorized flight through the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Air Cell, allowing for controlled access when necessary.

Arguments Against

Legal scholars might note that such restrictions limit the freedom of navigation for private and commercial drone operators and general aviation pilots within the specified radius.
Operators of non-exempt aircraft may face logistical challenges or financial costs if their planned flight paths are disrupted during the six specified windows of restriction.
The reliance on the 'Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Air Cell' for permissions may raise questions regarding the criteria used to grant or deny such access and the transparency of that process.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Tottenham, London) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 27th June 2026.

This section establishes the official title of the statutory instrument.

It sets the date on which the regulations legally take effect as 27th June 2026.

Interpretation

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

( b ) Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).

This provision clarifies the time standard used throughout the document.

It specifies that all listed times are in Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), noting that this is one hour behind British Summer Time.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (3), during the periods specified in paragraph (2) no aircraft is to fly below 1,100 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 0.5 of a nautical mile centred at 513615N 0000358W.

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

(a) 1100 hours on 27th June 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 28th June 2026,
(b) 1100 hours on 28th June 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 29th June 2026,
(c) 0800 hours on 6th July 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 7th July 2026,
(d) 0800 hours on 7th July 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 8th July 2026,
(e) 1100 hours on 13th July 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 14th July 2026, and
(f) 1100 hours on 15th July 2026 and end with 0100 hours on 16th July 2026.

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

(a) flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Air Cell, or
(b) operated by or on behalf of-
(i) a Police Air Support Unit, or
(ii) an Emergency Medical Service.

This section defines the geographical and vertical limits of the restricted airspace, centered on specific coordinates in Tottenham.

It lists the precise dates and time windows during which the flight prohibition is active. It also identifies the specific entities—emergency services and those with stadium air cell permission—that are exempt from these flight restrictions.

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