The CAA rewrites the airspace change process
The Civil Aviation Authority has published a revised version of CAP 1616, the process every proposal to change UK airspace has to go through. In a statement on 15 September 2026 the regulator said it "has updated its Airspace Change Process to reflect Government changes outlined in the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance, which come into effect on 1 October 2026". The updated process takes effect on the same day.
The CAA's own airspace change page says the new document is CAP 1616 version 6, and that "All new airspace change proposals submitted after 1 October 2026 will follow CAP 1616 version 6". The page names the current process as version 5.1.
The regulator describes the revision as "a significant reform of how airspace changes are proposed, assessed and approved". The part most relevant to drone operators is a new route for short-term work. The statement says the update "enables a more agile and responsive airspace system, and enables innovation, by introducing a streamlined process for short-term activities", and that "Streamlined requirements for lower-impact airspace changes are intended to reduce red tape while maintaining robust safety oversight".
Giancarlo Buono, the CAA's director of safety and airspace regulation, said: "By tailoring requirements to the scale and impact of proposals, we can reduce unnecessary burdens and help organisations make progress, whilst keeping a consistent focus on safety, evidence and impact."
Consultation stays in. The statement says "Communities affected by airspace change will continue to have opportunities to provide feedback through consultation, with proposals being assessed against their impacts." Unmanned Airspace, reporting the change, notes that the CAA consulted on CAP 1616 last September with a proportionate approach to enabling BVLOS flights in the UK among the aims.
Why it matters: the airspace change process is how proposals to alter UK airspace are assessed and approved, and the CAA's airspace change page carries separate guidance for temporary and trial proposals. Unmanned Airspace quotes the new CAP 1616 on why that matters: "Temporary airspace changes are by their nature short-term and are often to test new processes and procedures in order to provide an evidence base to support future policy development or air traffic management arrangements." A lighter route for short-term work is the part drone operators running trials will want to read first. The statement does not say how much shorter or cheaper the new route is in practice, so the documents themselves, linked from the CAA's airspace change page, are the place to look. The CAA's consultation last September on enabling BVLOS flights was a separate exercise from today's update.
Drone seized inside Luton Airport's restriction zone
Bedfordshire Police seized a drone being flown inside London Luton Airport's flight restriction zone on 12 September, the BBC reported on 14 September. Officers on duty at Luton's Party in the Park event at Stockwood Park had been monitoring the airspace and spotted the drone over nearby Alton Road.
Bedfordshire Police said the flight "breached the airport's flight restriction zone", the BBC reports, a zone which extends over the town centre and eastern half of Luton and into the surrounding countryside as far as East Hyde, Bendish and King's Walden. Officers went to the address, found a pilot without the authorisation to fly there, and "The drone was seized temporarily and words of advice were issued as part of a Community Resolution. No arrest was made or caution given."
A London Luton Airport spokesperson told the BBC: "Safety is always our highest priority. Drones can pose a risk when operated in restricted airspace or close to aircraft."
Why it matters: Luton's restriction zone covers a large part of the town, not just the airfield, and a park several miles from the runway can still be inside it. The outcome here was words of advice and a Community Resolution, with no arrest or caution. Check the zone on the map before every flight.
Warminster: the Army's first passive drone detection system
Earlier today UK Drone Directory reported that the British Army has switched on the first passive counter-drone detection system at a British Army base, at Warminster garrison in Wiltshire. Two UK suppliers, Dedrone and Quell, delivered it in under six months, and it logged 29 drone alerts in its first 17 days. The full piece, with what the system can and cannot see, is linked in the sources.