UK launches consultations to modernise airspace design

File photo of the Union Jack flag outside the Houses of Parliament in London | Reuters

New Delhi: The UK government has launched a consultation on the creation of a new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) that would be responsible for modernising the design of UK airspace.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a statement that UKADS would act as a “single guiding mind” for airspace modernisation, in line with the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS).

This strategy has the goal of providing quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys, and more capacity for airspace users. It is hoped that airspace modernisation will help the aviation sector achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

DfT and the CAA noted that UK airspace’s design has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s, when there were fewer than one million flights per year in UK airspace. This compares with 2.5 million flights in 2019, and projections of three million annually by 2030.

“In many cases, today’s aircraft still use the same outdated routes flying further than necessary at sub-optimal altitudes and speeds because the routes rely on the location of the ground navigation beacons, instead of following shorter, more efficient flight paths,” they added.

The government said doing nothing is “not an option”, as delays at a national level could increase by more than 200% by 2040 if UK airspace is not modernised. This would result in one in five flights experiencing disruption of more than 45 minutes.

Airspace modernisation will simplify flight routes, improve climb and descent profiles, and reduce CO2 emissions, according to the DfT and the CAA.

Future technologies like remotely piloted aircraft systems will operate beyond the visual line of sight in the UK safely and efficiently.

The consultation suggests establishing a single guiding authority to modernize airspace design swiftly and substantially. This fosters confidence among stakeholders in delivering airspace changes that reduce carbon emissions, noise, and delays.