CEO Diary 31 January 2026

CAA Scheme of Charges 2026

AOPA's position is that the CAA Scheme of Charges has not been shown to comply with the requirements of the Transport Act 2000. The proposals place undue emphasis on cost recovery while insufficiently demonstrating proportionality, fairness or alignment with safety and public-interest duties. Critically, the Scheme fails to treat the CAA's own evidence of a 40% decline in General Aviation activity since 2017 as a core design constraint. GA is a discretionary, demand-sensitive sector, yet cumulative impacts, behavioural effects and distributional consequences are not adequately assessed. Without such evidence, the Scheme risks accelerating decline and undermining sustainability.

I am asking for a freeze on charges that relate to GA until the CAA can show that they have complied with the requirements of the Transport Act. There is a Governance issue here for that DfT and potential ministerial issue.

EUROCONTROL

EUROCONTROL's 64th Provisional Council highlighted developments of direct relevance to UK General Aviation. The Trajectory 2030 strategy reinforces EUROCONTROL's pan-European and civil-military role, supporting continued UK influence post-EU exit. Improved network resilience and operational performance should benefit GA through more predictable airspace access, but rising agency costs and user-pays pressures remain a concern. Innovation and digitalisation offer opportunities, provided implementation is proportionate and avoids airline-centric outcomes. Continued UK scrutiny is essential to protect GA affordability and access.

Implications for General Aviation (GA)

For GA, the ANSB's concerns signal continued pressure on cost recovery and user charges amid rising Agency costs and stagnant revenues. Emphasis on cost-efficiency, staff control, and reprioritisation increases the risk that GA-related initiatives--often low-revenue but high societal value--could be deprioritised, particularly in SESAR deployment beyond 2027. Tight financial oversight may also reinforce a "user pays" narrative, indirectly affecting GA access to airspace and services. Conversely, stronger governance and clearer roles offer GA stakeholders a firmer basis to argue for proportionality, transparency, and recognition of GA's limited cost impact.( Full response shared with IAOPA Europe -- No Comments)

Future Airspace Consultation

Stansted Airport | East Midlands Airport | Manchester Airport

Monday 25th November 2024 we engaged with you on our proposals to shorten the shorten the DET 2D/2R/2S, by 25nm, to waypoint JUGSE.

In the AOPA response said that from a GA VFR perspective to the revised proposal has no direct impact, as it introduces no new controlled airspace, changes to airspace classification, or additional requirements for VFR operations. By improving IFR flow resilience during MDIs it may offer an indirect benefit through reduced network disruption, while it remains important that the ACP clearly confirms no precedent is set for future constraints on VFR access.For local GA VFR operations, the impact is expected to be minimal. The proposal does not introduce new controlled airspace, change VFR access arrangements, or alter existing VFR routes or procedures. Segregating Dover-bound traffic onto the new GASBA SIDs reduces unnecessary delays to other IFR departures and improves overall traffic flow, which may marginally reduce airborne holding and congestion in the LTMA. IFR tracks will terminate earlier at GASBA, but remain broadly similar laterally, so any change in traffic concentration is limited. VFR pilots should note the new SID names and waypoint for situational awareness, but no procedural changes are required.

Aerodromes

Working with BBGA,BHA and RABA I made this input to the presentation being forwarded to the Minister /DfT:

General Aviation aerodromes are an integral part of the UK transport network, providing essential access, resilience and connectivity, particularly for rural and peripheral communities. In line with AOPA's position, they underpin safety, pilot training, emergency services and economic participation. Levelling Up depends on protecting these local aviation nodes. Proportionate, risk-based regulation and charging is therefore essential to avoid irreversible loss of GA infrastructure and the wider transport and skills benefits it delivers.

Scottish AMS

Scottish AM; part of my response said that the consultation proposes a net reduction in controlled airspace (CAS) below 7,000 ft around Edinburgh and Glasgow, which on first reading could benefit General Aviation through increased access to Class G airspace. However, while CAS is released in some areas, additional CAS is introduced elsewhere, potentially impacting established GA routes and training areas. Of particular concern to GA is the Firth of Forth, a key VFR transit and training area, where changes to lower airspace could constrain access and routing flexibility. As the redesign targets lower airspace, detailed boundary analysis will be critical before GA benefits can be confirmed.

Many local BGA and Micro Light pilots responded and overall our response underpinned the GAA comments ( although there were some GAA members with different opinions )

DfT consultation on AMS Directions  and revised Airspace Modernisation Guidance (AMG)

AOPA supports clear airspace design priorities, provided environmental considerations are applied proportionately. General Aviation has fundamentally different operating characteristics and impacts to commercial aviation. Carbon and noise objectives must not compromise safety, access or training activity, nor lead to increased complexity or inefficiency that could u ndermine overall airspace system performance.

From a GA perspective, strategic priorities should also consider proportionality and unintended impacts on General Aviation. This includes protecting access to airspace, affordability of compliance, safety benefits relative to risk, innovation for low-cost equipage, and recognising GA's economic, training, emergency service and community value.

CAP 724 benefits UK General Aviation by setting clear principles for fair, transparent, and proportionate airspace management. It commits decision-makers to balance safety, access, and efficiency, protect existing GA operations, ensure meaningful consultation, and justify airspace changes--helping prevent unnecessary restrictions while supporting equitable sharing of airspace.

 "AMS implementation risks undermining CAP 1711's original safeguards unless explicit protections for GA access, cumulative impact, and proportionality are reinstated." Otherwise we will see the further erosion of class G airspace.

Member advice:

A private flight departing Europe to the UK, there is no mechanism to reclaim fuel duty on fuel uplifted in a European state: excise duty is a national tax and can only be refunded by the country that charged it, most European states do not permit duty drawback for private flights. 

In practice: UK Fuel duty can be reclaimed; VAT cannot -- the VAT remains a sunk cost.

Cost Sharing on N Reg aircraft . UK law has precedent over FAA regulations--- The member didn't want to agree so explained --driving a German built car on the autobahn doesn't give the owner the right to drive at similar speeds on UK motorways. Similarly, any aircraft registered outside the UK would be subject to UK Cost Sharing regulations within UK airspace.

The CAA has not softened its approach to Transient Global Amnesia; decision-making is now centralised with minimal AME discretion, and the evidential threshold to remove limitations is effectively unreachable. Although other countries permit a return to flying after defined symptom-free periods, the UK has not adopted this approach.