ACOG publishes report on UK airspace modernisation

The Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) has announced that it has released a new report emphasising the urgent need to upgrade the UK’s airspace. The report highlights that modernising airspace is essential for delivering economic growth, reducing noise pollution, enabling more sustainable flights, improving flight efficiency and enhancing the overall passenger experience at UK airports. Failure to upgrade the airspace could lead to a 200% increase in flight delays, with one in five flights potentially facing disruptions of more than 45 minutes.

The report includes case studies from NATS (the UK’s main air navigation service provider), easyJet, Manchester Airport and the Glasgow Chambers of Commerce, detailing progress on airspace upgrades, potential fuel and carbon savings, and the benefits for airports, passengers and businesses.

The national airspace change programme, already underway, involves 20 airports developing individual Airspace Change Proposals (ACPs), co-ordinated by ACOG into a comprehensive Airspace Masterplan. This plan ensures seamless integration of changes while addressing any potential overlaps and trade-offs.

Public consultations for the first co-ordinated airspace changes are expected within the next six months.

Mark Swan, Head of ACOG, said: “The UK’s airspace is an essential, but invisible, part of our national infrastructure. At a time where delivering growth, innovation and sustainability are high up the agenda for both government and industry, it is vital that we continue to push ahead with our plans for airspace modernisation and deliver a modern airspace that makes flying cleaner, quieter and quicker. This report is an important reminder of the benefits airspace modernisation can bring to passengers, local communities, industry, the environment and the economy. ACOG will continue to work closely with the airports involved in the airspace change programme, in particular those clusters that will be publicly consulting on their proposals in the coming months.”

ACOG was established in 2019 to oversee airspace modernisation efforts and deliver a coordinated master plan for the UK’s skies.