New laws have been passed in the UK which will open up new and more direct flight routes for aircraft arriving and departing the country’s airspace.
This marks the most significant overhaul of UK airspace since its creation in the 1950s, when it handled just 200,000 flights a year — a significant contrast to the 2.7 million flights recorded during 2024.
Modernising UK airspace will open up capacity, supporting growth and thousands of jobs in the aviation and tourism sectors, as well as reducing delays and emissions per flight resulting from planes circling in the sky while waiting to land, the UK's Department for Transport (DfT) stated.
Under the proposals, the government hopes its new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will be fully operational by the end of 2025. Its initial focus will be on redesigning London's airspace, after Labour backed the development of a third runway at Heathrow Airport earlier this year.
“Redesigned ‘skyways’ will turbocharge growth in the aviation industry, not least by boosting airport expansion plans and supporting job creation, driving millions into the UK economy as part of the ‘Plan for Change’,” said UK Aviation Minister, Mike Kane. “Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce pollution from flying and will set the industry up for a long-term sustainable future.”
The DfT also stated that noise and air pollution will be reduced for residents who live along flight routes, as the redesigned skyways could allow for planes to climb quickly during take-off and descend more smoothly when landing.
The industry has welcomed the new move from the UK government, with Jet2’s CEO Steve Heapy stating that the announcement is “excellent news” and that the airline is now calling for swift action so that the decarbonisation and passenger experience benefits can be realised as soon as possible.
Tim Alderslade, the head of trade body Airlines UK, said changes to airspace were "long overdue".
"We look forward to working with ministers and all parts of UK aviation to complete a once in a generation infrastructure programme as quickly as possible and ideally by the end of the decade," he added.
The government also said that travellers can expect less disruption to flights and shorter journey times due to increased capacity in the air.
These plans come as global forecasts show a near doubling of passengers and cargo in the next 20 years.