The Civil Aviation (Customs and Excise Airports) Order 2026

Published: Tue 26th May 26

Updated the list of UK airports authorized for international customs and excise purposes and removed five airports from that list.

This Order designates specific aerodromes in the United Kingdom as authorized locations for the landing or departure of aircraft for customs and excise purposes.

It applies to airport operators and aircraft commanders, mandating that international flights subject to customs controls use only the listed facilities.

By revoking the 2021 Order, it removes Coventry, Doncaster, Filton, Manston, and Plymouth airports from the list of designated customs and excise aerodromes.

Arguments For

The order states that it updates the list of designated aerodromes for the purposes of customs and excise enactments.
Proponents argue the change is necessary to reflect current operational realities, as the Explanatory Note indicates that five specific airports no longer require this designation.
The document asserts that no significant impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen as a result of these changes.

Arguments Against

Legal scholars might note that the removal of designation restricts where international flights can legally land or depart, potentially affecting local regional connectivity.
Impacted airport operators or local businesses in Coventry, Doncaster, Filton, Manston, and Plymouth may raise concerns regarding the loss of status for international trade and travel.
Critics might question the lack of a full impact assessment for an instrument that changes the regulatory status of five transportation hubs.

Citation, commencement and extent

-(1) This Order may be cited as the Civil Aviation (Customs and Excise Airports) Order 2026 and comes into force on 11th June 2026.

(2) This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This section establishes the official name of the order and sets the date it becomes legally active as 11 June 2026.

It specifies that the regulations apply throughout the entire United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Revocation

The Civil Aviation (Customs and Excise Airports) Order 2021( 2 ) is revoked.

This section cancels the previous legal order from 2021 that formerly governed the designation of customs and excise airports.

This ensures that the 2026 list is the sole legal authority for these designations moving forward.

Designation of Customs and Excise aerodromes

The following aerodromes are designated as places for the landing or departure of aircraft for the purposes of the enactments for the time being in force relating to customs and excise-
-Aberdeen International Airport
-Belfast International Airport
-Biggin Hill Airport
-Birmingham Airport
-Blackpool Airport
-Bournemouth Airport
-Brighton City Airport
-Bristol Airport
-Cambridge City Airport

-Cardiff Airport
-Cornwall Airport Newquay
-East Midlands Airport
-Edinburgh Airport
-Exeter Airport
-Farnborough Airport
-George Best Belfast City Airport
-Glasgow Airport
-Glasgow Prestwick Airport
-Humberside Airport
-Inverness Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport
-Liverpool Airport
-London City Airport
-London Gatwick Airport
-London Heathrow Airport
-London Luton Airport
-London Southend Airport
-London Stansted Airport
-Lydd Airport
-Manchester Airport
-Newcastle Airport
-Norwich Airport
-Southampton Airport
-Sumburgh Airport
-Teesside International Airport

This section lists the specific airports that are legally permitted to handle aircraft arriving from or departing to locations outside the UK for customs and excise purposes.

By omission, any airport not mentioned in this list—specifically Coventry, Doncaster Sheffield, Filton, Manston, and Plymouth—loses its legal authorization to function as a customs airport.

This restricts international flight operations to the thirty-five facilities named here.

View Source