A temporary airspace restriction for drones will apply over the Hull Fair site and surrounding area at set times between 9 and 17 October 2026. The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Hull Fair, Humberside) Regulations 2026 were made on 22 September 2026 and come into force on 9 October 2026.
Hull City Council announced the restriction on 29 September 2026. It says: "The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Secretary of State for Transport have introduced Restriction of Flying Regulations under Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 for reasons of public safety and security, due to the large number of people expected to attend."
The area
The regulations say that during the restricted periods "no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,100 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 0.5 of a nautical mile which is centred at 534456N 0002224W."
The council describes the same area as "a circle with a radius of half a nautical mile (approximately 925 metres) centred on the Walton Street fairground, from ground level up to 1,100 feet above mean sea level." It adds: "The zone includes West Park, the MKM Stadium, Hull Western and Hull General Cemeteries, and surrounding streets including parts of Spring Bank West, Chanterlands Avenue and Anlaby Road."
The council says the restriction "applies to uncrewed aircraft (drones) only and does not affect crewed aircraft."
The times
The council lists the hours in local time:
- 9 October: 4pm to 11pm
- 10 October: 12 noon to 11pm
- 11 October: no restriction in force
- 12 to 16 October: 2pm to 11pm each day
- 17 October: 12 noon to 11pm
The regulations state the same periods in Co-ordinated Universal Time, which their explanatory note says "is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST)": 1500 to 2200 hours on 9 October, 1100 to 2200 hours on 10 October, 1300 to 2200 hours on each of the five days from 12 to 16 October, and 1100 to 2200 hours on 17 October.
Flying inside the zone
Under the regulations the restriction does not apply to a drone "flown in accordance with a permission issued by Aerial Defence Ltd" or one "operated by or on behalf of a Police Air Support Unit."
The council says: "Anyone wishing to fly a drone within the restricted area during the times it is in force must first obtain permission from Aerial Defence Ltd, who are managing the airspace on behalf of the event." It says requests "should be made at least 24-hours before the proposed flight", and gives the contact details as telephone 07872 828379 and email aircell@aerial-defence.com.
It also says: "It is the responsibility of drone users to check the restriction and plan their flights accordingly."
Counter-drone equipment
The council says: "Counter drone equipment will be deployed throughout the fair."
Chief Inspector Derek Hussain, Silver Commander for the policing operation at Hull Fair, said: "There is no specific threat to the fair, but we will be prepared for any eventuality. Counter drone equipment will be in operation, and we will be able to detect drones and locate the people flying them."
He added: "I would ask anyone with a drone to respect the restriction. Flying within the zone without permission is a criminal offence and could put people at risk."
Cllr Jackie Dad, deputy leader of Hull City Council, said the council had "worked with Humberside Police, the Civil Aviation Authority and Aerial Defence Ltd to put this restriction in place".
Where the details are published
The council says: "Full details are published in CAA Briefing Sheet 121/2026 and are available to pilots through the NATS Aeronautical Information Service at nats.aero/ais."