The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026

The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026

Skip to main content
Skip to navigation
legislation.gov.uk
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Cymraeg
Home
Explore our collections
Research tools
Help and guidance
What's new
About us
Search Legislation
The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026
You are here:
UK Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 99
Whole
Instrument
Table of Contents
Content
Explanatory Memorandum
More Resources
Previous
Next
Plain View
Print Options
What Version
Latest available (Revised)
Original (As made)
Opening Options
Open whole Instrument
More Resources
Original: King's Printer Version
View more
Status:
This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.

This Statutory Instrument has been made in consequence of a defect in
S.I. 2025/850
and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Instrument.

Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 99
CIVIL AVIATION
The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026
Made
3rd February 2026
Laid before Parliament
10th February 2026
Coming into force
3rd March 2026
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 3rd day of February 2026
Present,
The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council
His Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Him by sections 60(1), (2)(b), (3)(d) and (h) and (4), 61(1)(a) and 101(1)(a) of, and Schedule 13 to, the Civil Aviation Act 1982(
1
) and paragraph 1(4)(a) of Schedule 11 to the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021(
2
) is pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to order as follows:
Citation, commencement and extent
1.
—(1) This Order may be cited as the Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026.
(2) This Order comes into force on 3rd March 2026.
(3) This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Amendment of the Air Navigation Order 2016
2.
—(1) The Air Navigation Order 2016(
3
) is amended as follows.
(2) In article 265E (offences: tethered small unmanned aircraft)—
(a)
in paragraph (2)(b)—

(i)
after paragraph (ii) insert—

“
(iia)
point UAS.OPEN.040(A1) (horizontal distance from uninvolved persons)
(
4
)
;
”
;

(ii)
in paragraph (iv), for “horizontal distances” substitute
“horizontal distance from certain areas”
;

(iii)
after paragraph (iv) insert—

“
(iva)
point UAS.OPEN.040(2A) (horizontal distance from buildings)
(
5
)
;
”
;

(b)
in paragraph (3)—

(i)
after “(2)(b)(i), ” insert
“(2)(b)(iia),”
;

(ii)
after “(2)(b)(iv)” insert
“, (2)(b)(iva)”
.

(3) In Schedule 1 (interpretation), in paragraph 1—
(a)
in the definition of “Sailplane Regulation” omit “, as amended from time to time”;

(b)
for the definition of “Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation” substitute—

“
“
Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation
” means Commission Implementing
Regulation (EU) 2019/947
of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft
(
6
)
, as last amended by the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025
(
7
)
;
”
.

Amendment of the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021
3.
  In paragraph (a) of paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 9 to the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021(
8
) (provision by remote pilots of information about UAS operators), in each of sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), omit “of 250g or more”.
Richard Tilbrook
Clerk of the Privy Council
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Order in Council)

This Order amends the Air Navigation Order 2016 (
S.I. 2016/765
) (“ANO 2016”) and Schedule 9 to the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act
2021 (c. 12)
.

Article 265E of the ANO 2016 applies certain provisions of Commission Implementing
Regulation (EU) 2019/947
on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (
EUR 2019/947
) (“
the Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation
”) to tethered small unmanned aircraft (“
TSUA
”). TSUA would otherwise not be subject to any regulation because they are excluded from the application of
Regulation (EU) 2018/1139
on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Safety Agency (
EUR 2018/1139
), and therefore from the Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation.

Article 2(2)(a) of this Order inserts new paragraphs in article 265E(2)(b) with the effect that points UAS.OPEN.040(4)(A1) and (2A) of the Annex to the Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation apply to TSUA with a maximum take-off mass of 250g or more. Article 2(2)(b) inserts references to the new paragraphs in article 265E(3) so that the Civil Aviation Authority may issue a permission to a UAS operator to allow a remote pilot to fly a TSUA in a manner not in compliance with those requirements.

Article 2(3) amends two definitions in Schedule 1 to the ANO 2016. Sub-paragraph (a) amends the definition of “Sailplane Regulation”. Sub-paragraph (b) amends the definition of “Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation”, so that the reference is to that Regulation as last amended by the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (
S.I. 2025/1106
).

Schedule 9 to the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 provides for police powers in relation to the ANO 2016 and the Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025 (
S.I. 2025/1284
). A condition on the exercise of the powers in paragraphs 2 and 3 is that the constable has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a “relevant registration requirement” applied to a person or flight. “Relevant registration requirement” is defined in paragraph 2(3) and includes the requirements in article 265E(1)(a) and (b). Article 265E(1)(a) and (b) refer to Article 14 of the Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation, which has been amended by the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025. Article 3 of this Order amends the parenthetical descriptions in paragraph 2(3) accordingly.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

(
1
)
1982 c. 16
.
(
2
)
2021 c. 12
.
(
3
)
S.I. 2016/765
. Relevant amending instruments are
S.I. 2020/1555
,
2021/879
and
2025/850
.
(
4
)
Point UAS.OPEN.040(A1) of Part A of the Annex to Commission Implementing
Regulation (EU) 2019/947
of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (
EUR 2019/947
) was inserted by
S.I. 2025/1106
.
(
5
)
Point UAS.OPEN.040(2A) of Part A of the Annex to Commission Implementing
Regulation (EU) 2019/947
of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (
EUR 2019/947
) was inserted by
S.I. 2025/1106
.
(
6
)
EUR 2019/947
, amended by
S.I. 2020/1593
,
2021/10
and
1203
,
2022/637
and
1235
and
2025/1106
.
(
7
)
S.I. 2025/1106
.
(
8
)
Paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 9 was amended by
S.I. 2025/1284
.
Previous
Next
Back to top
Options/Help
Print Options
Official printed copies
Order a copy of this legislation
buy now
Print
The Whole
Instrument
PDF
The Whole
Instrument
Web page
The Whole
Instrument
Legislation is available in different versions:
Latest Available (revised):
The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made):
The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Opening Options
Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once
Explanatory Memorandum
Explanatory Memorandum sets out a brief statement of the purpose of a Statutory Instrument and provides information about its policy objective and policy implications. They aim to make the Statutory Instrument accessible to readers who are not legally qualified and accompany any Statutory Instrument or Draft Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament from June 2004 onwards.
More Resources
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
confers power and blanket amendment details
all formats of all associated documents
correction slips
links to related legislation and further information resources
More Resources
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
the original print PDF of the as made version that was used for the print copy
correction slips
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:
lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
confers power and blanket amendment details
all formats of all associated documents
links to related legislation and further information resources
The data on this page is available in the
alternative data formats
listed:
HTML5
alternative version
HTML snippet
alternative version
PDF
alternative version
XML
alternative version
Akoma Ntoso
alternative version
HTML RDFa
alternative version
RDF/XML
alternative version
New site design
Help
About us
Site map
Accessibility
Contact us
Privacy notice
Cookies
All content is available under the
Open Government Licence v3.0
except where
otherwise stated
. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the
Commission Decision 2011/833/EU
on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the
EUR-Lex public statement on re-use
.
©
Crown and database right