UK starts to reshape airspace map

LONDON - Much of the UK airspace was designed in the 1950. Fewer delays and reduced bottlenecks could help millions of passengers each year and deliver economic growth as the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Department for Transport unveil new plans to modernise UK airspace.

The UK will map a new airspace. "A new team of aviation experts will (...) work with UK airports to improve the way planes fly in, out and over the UK, starting by looking at London’s airspace", regulator CAA said.

By facilitating upgrades of the "highways of the sky”, the plans could reduce delays, emissions and noise pollution.

In July, UK airspace experienced some of its busiest days on record with over 8,239 flights. With over 2.6 million aircraft flying through the UK every year, both the Department for Transport and UK Civil Aviation Authority are seeking views on how a UK Airspace Design Service could deliver on airspace modernisation -utilising new technology to meet demand and ultimately help pave the way for incorporation of new technologies, such as drones and spacecraft.

"Advanced navigation technologies"

"Much of our current airspace was designed in the 1950s when there were fewer flights and aircraft navigated using a series of ground-based beacons," CAA director Rob Biston said.

By enabling aircraft to use advanced navigation technologies, the UK Airspace Design Service will be able to plan the more efficient use of the finite amount of airspace in the UK, including use of continuous climb and descent profiles, and reduced need to hold aircraft."

London airspace is the busiest and most congested in the UK and delays in London often have a knock-on effect for the rest of the UK. The first phase of the UK Airspace Design Service would "focus on the complex and busy airspace around London and the Southeast" according to the CAA.