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Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021

2021 c. 12 · Enacted 29 April 2021 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 3 March 2026.

An Act to make provision about airspace change proposals, about the licensing regime for air traffic services under Part 1 of the Transport Act 2000 and about airport slot allocation, to confer police powers relating to unmanned aircraft and requirements in Air Navigation Orders and to provide for fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft.

[29th April 2021]

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Airspace change proposals
  2. 1Meaning of “airspace change proposal”
  3. 2Direction to progress airspace change proposal
  4. 3Direction to co-operate in airspace change proposal
  5. 4Directions under sections 2 and 3: supplemental
  6. 5Delegation of functions to CAA
  7. 6Provision of information
  8. 7Appeals and enforcement
  9. 8Part 1: interpretation
  10. Part 2: Air traffic
  11. 9Licensed air traffic services: modifying the licence and related appeals
  12. 10Air traffic services licensed under Part 1 of the Transport Act 2000: enforcement
  13. 11Air traffic services: consequential amendments
  14. 12Airport slot allocation
  15. Part 3: Unmanned aircraft
  16. 13Powers of police officers and prison authorities
  17. 14Powers of police officers relating to ANO 2016 and the Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
  18. 15Fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft
  19. 16Amendment and enforcement regulations
  20. 17Disclosures of information
  21. 18Part 3: interpretation
  22. Part 4: General
  23. 19Regulations
  24. 20Extent
  25. 21Commencement
  26. 22Short title
  27. Schedule 1: Appeals against decisions to give or vary airspace change directions
  28. Appeals against decisions to give or vary directions
  29. 1Paragraph 1
  30. Decisions on appeal
  31. 2Paragraph 2
  32. Further appeals
  33. 3Paragraph 3
  34. Interpretation
  35. 4Paragraph 4
  36. Schedule 2: Enforcement of airspace change directions and connected appeals
  37. Part 1: Enforcement of directions
  38. Contravention notices
  39. 1Paragraph 1
  40. Enforcement orders
  41. 2Paragraph 2
  42. Enforcement orders: modification and revocation
  43. 3Paragraph 3
  44. Penalty for contravention of enforcement order
  45. 4Paragraph 4
  46. Procedure after imposing a penalty
  47. 5Paragraph 5
  48. Amount of penalty
  49. 6Paragraph 6
  50. Amount of penalty: fixed amount
  51. 7Paragraph 7
  52. Amount of penalty: daily amounts
  53. 8Paragraph 8
  54. Withdrawal of penalties
  55. 9Paragraph 9
  56. Recovering penalties
  57. 10Paragraph 10
  58. Statement of policy on penalties
  59. 11Paragraph 11
  60. Turnover
  61. 12Paragraph 12
  62. Part 2: Appeals
  63. Appeals against enforcement orders
  64. 13Paragraph 13
  65. Appeals against penalties
  66. 14Paragraph 14
  67. Decisions on appeal
  68. 15Paragraph 15
  69. Further appeals
  70. 16Paragraph 16
  71. Part 3: Interpretation
  72. Definitions
  73. 17Paragraph 17
  74. Schedule 3: Modification of licence conditions under section 11 of the Transport Act 2000: appeals
  75. Paragraph
  76. Schedule 4: New Schedule A1 to the Transport Act 2000
  77. Paragraph
  78. Schedule 5: New Schedule B1 to the Transport Act 2000
  79. Paragraph
  80. Schedule 6: New Schedule C1 to the Transport Act 2000
  81. Paragraph
  82. Schedule 7: Air traffic services: consequential amendments
  83. Transport Act 2000 (c.38)
  84. 1Paragraph 1
  85. 2Paragraph 2
  86. 3Paragraph 3
  87. 4Paragraph 4
  88. 5Paragraph 5
  89. 6Paragraph 6
  90. 7Paragraph 7
  91. 8Paragraph 8
  92. 9Paragraph 9
  93. 10Paragraph 10
  94. Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24)
  95. 11Paragraph 11
  96. Schedule 8: Unmanned aircraft: powers of police officers and prison authorities
  97. Part 1: General powers of police officers
  98. Power of constable to require an unmanned aircraft to be grounded
  99. 1Paragraph 1
  100. Power of constable to stop and search persons or vehicles
  101. 2Paragraph 2
  102. Power to enter and search premises under warrant
  103. 3Paragraph 3
  104. Supplementary powers
  105. 4Paragraph 4
  106. Meaning of “relevant unmanned aircraft offence”
  107. 5Paragraph 5
  108. Meaning of “relevant offence under regulation 3(3) of the Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025”
  109. 6Paragraph 6
  110. Meaning of “relevant offence under article 265E(7) of the ANO 2016”
  111. 7Paragraph 7
  112. Meaning of “relevant prison offence”
  113. 8Paragraph 8
  114. Meaning of “Scottish common law prison offence”
  115. 9Paragraph 9
  116. Other interpretation
  117. 10Paragraph 10
  118. Part 2: Powers of police officers and prison authorities under Police Act 1997
  119. Authorisations to interfere with property etc
  120. 11Paragraph 11
  121. 12Paragraph 12
  122. Schedule 9: Unmanned aircraft: powers of police officers relating to ANO 2016 and the Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
  123. Provision by remote pilots of evidence of competency
  124. 1Paragraph 1
  125. Provision by remote pilots of information about UAS operators
  126. 2Paragraph 2
  127. Provision by UAS operators of evidence of registration
  128. 3Paragraph 3
  129. Provision by UAS operators of information about remote pilots
  130. 4Paragraph 4
  131. Provision by remote pilots or UAS operators of other information etc
  132. 5Paragraph 5
  133. Provision of evidence of consents for certain flights
  134. 6Paragraph 6
  135. Provision of evidence of exemptions for certain flights
  136. 7Paragraph 7
  137. Power to inspect unmanned aircraft in connection with other powers
  138. 8Paragraph 8
  139. Offence of providing false or misleading information etc
  140. 9Paragraph 9
  141. Provision of information etc at a police station
  142. 10Paragraph 10
  143. Interpretation
  144. 11Paragraph 11
  145. Schedule 10: Fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft
  146. Power to issue fixed penalty notices
  147. 1Paragraph 1
  148. Fixed penalty offences
  149. 2Paragraph 2
  150. Fixed penalty notices
  151. 3Paragraph 3
  152. Effect of fixed penalty notice
  153. 4Paragraph 4
  154. Amount of fixed penalty
  155. 5Paragraph 5
  156. Supplementary provision
  157. 6Paragraph 6
  158. Issuing of registration documents
  159. 7Paragraph 7
  160. Sending of registration documents
  161. 8Paragraph 8
  162. Registration of fixed penalty: document sent to designated officer in England and Wales
  163. 9Paragraph 9
  164. Registration of fixed penalty: document sent to clerk in Scotland
  165. 10Paragraph 10
  166. Registration of fixed penalty: document sent to clerk of petty sessions in Northern Ireland
  167. 11Paragraph 11
  168. Bodies corporate & the Crown
  169. 12Paragraph 12
  170. Interpretation
  171. 13Paragraph 13
  172. Schedule 11: Amendment and enforcement regulations
  173. Part 1: Amendment of provisions that relate to offences
  174. Amendments in consequence of relevant subordinate legislation
  175. 1Paragraph 1
  176. Parliamentary procedure
  177. 2Paragraph 2
  178. Part 2: Enforcement of particular EU-derived legislation
  179. Regulations providing for criminal offences or civil penalties
  180. 3Paragraph 3
  181. Part 3: Interpretation
  182. Interpretation
  183. 4Paragraph 4