The Secretary of State imposed immediate, temporary flying restrictions below 3,500 feet over a specified one-mile radius near Bristol due to a public interest emergency, effective May 3rd, 2026.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Bristol) (Emergency) Regulations 2026 enacts immediate, emergency-based restrictions on all aircraft flying below 3,500 feet above mean sea level within a one-nautical-mile radius centred on specific coordinates near Bristol, authorizing the restriction by the Secretary of State for Transport due to a matter affecting public interest, with exemptions only for aircraft operating under directions from the Avon and Somerset Police.

Updated the list of bodies to which workers can legally submit protected whistleblowing disclosures from 2 June 2026.

This Order updates the list of 'prescribed persons' under the Employment Rights Act 1996, granting legal protection to workers who blow the whistle to designated regulators and public bodies.

It adds the Building Safety Regulator, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, the Independent Football Regulator, the Law Society, the Security Industry Authority, and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to the list.

Furthermore, it modifies the scope of protected disclosures for the Financial Conduct Authority, the Environment Agency, and several government departments while removing the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland.

The Secretary of State made regulations imposing temporary flight restrictions below 3,500 feet around Headcorn Aerodrome for flying displays scheduled from June 26th to June 28th, 2026.

These Regulations establish temporary restrictions on aircraft flying below 3,500 feet above mean sea level within a 3.5 nautical mile radius of Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent, between June 26th and June 28th, 2026, inclusive, to ensure public safety during scheduled flying displays; the restrictions do not apply to emergency services, specific authorized flights, or areas already subject to prohibitions related to prisons and young offender institutions.

The Secretary of State made emergency regulations immediately restricting non-exempted aircraft flight below 2,000 feet over a circular area centered on Southway, Plymouth.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Southway, Plymouth) (Emergency) Regulations 2026 immediately restrict all aircraft from flying lower than 2,000 feet above mean sea level over a defined area in Southway, Plymouth, using powers derived from the Air Navigation Order 2016 due to an emergency affecting the public interest, with an exception granted only for aircraft operating under directions from the Devon & Cornwall Police Counter UAS Team.

The regulations restricted unmanned aircraft flight below 1,400 feet over War Memorial Park, Coventry, between 0900 and 2100 UTC on May 4, 2026, excluding police-authorized operations.

This Statutory Instrument, The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (War Memorial Park, Coventry) Regulations 2026, imposes a temporary restriction on the operation of unmanned aircraft to ensure public safety during a large gathering, specifically the Coventry City Football Club Parade, on May 4, 2026; the regulation prohibits flights below 1,400 feet above mean sea level within a precisely defined area around War Memorial Park, Coventry, between 0900 and 2100 hours Co-ordinated Universal Time, although exceptions exist for flights authorized by the West Midlands Police Counter-UAS Team.

The Regulations imposed temporary altitude and area flight restrictions over the Fishburn Air Race vicinity for public safety during the event dates in June 2026.

These Regulations establish temporary, area-specific flight restrictions necessary for public safety during the Royal Aero Club Air Race scheduled to take place near Fishburn Aerodrome on June 20th and 21st, 2026; specifically, they prohibit aircraft from flying below 2,000 feet above mean sea level within precisely defined geographical coordinates during specified time windows, though exceptions exist for certain authorized aircraft and emergency services.

Decriminalised certain long-range flight violations and expanded the Civil Aviation Authority's discretion to grant safety exemptions starting 1 May 2026.

These Regulations amend civil aviation safety rules by broadening the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) power to grant exemptions and removing certain criminal penalties.

The instrument decriminalises the operation of twin-engined aeroplanes beyond threshold distances without specific ETOPS approval and replaces rigid criteria for CAA-issued exemptions with a discretionary power to impose appropriate conditions.

These changes apply to legal and natural persons subject to UK aviation safety regulations, including aircraft operators and the CAA.

Lowered the minimum age for train driving licences to 18 in Great Britain while maintaining a 20-year age limit for the Channel Tunnel zone.

These Regulations lower the minimum age for obtaining a train driving licence in Great Britain from 20 to 18 years.

While permitting younger drivers on the general rail network, the instrument prohibits anyone under 20 from driving within the British Channel Tunnel zone, which includes the tunnel itself and specific lines to Ashford International and Dollands Moor.

These rules apply to the Office of Rail and Road as the licensing authority, as well as railway undertakings and infrastructure managers who are prohibited from deploying underage drivers in the specified tunnel zone.