The Air Navigation Order 2016
UK Statutory Instrument 2016 No. 765 — creates 8 criminal offences.
- Made
- 13 July 2016
- In force from
- 25 August 2016
- Extent
- Not stated
- Subject
- Transport: maritime, aviation, rail and harbours
- Made under
- Airports Act 1986, European Communities Act 1972, Schedule 13 to the Civil Aviation Act 1982, Schedule 2 to, the European Communities Act 1972
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
This Order consolidates with amendments the provisions of the Air Navigation Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/3015) and takes account of the requirement to apply the provisions of certain of the Annexes to Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (O.J. No. L 296, 25.10.2012, p.1., and referred to in this Order as the “EASA Air Operations Regulation”) to different categories of aircraft following the expiry of the derogation period permitted under paragraph 3 of Article 10 of that Regulation. Part 1 deals with interpretation, and introduces Schedule 1 containing definitions used throughout the Order. Part 2 sets out the applicability of the Order, including providing for extra-territorial effect in certain situations. Part 3 contains provisions dealing with registration and marking of aircraft. Part 4 deals with airworthiness of aircraft, both initially and on a continuing basis. Part 5 sets out provisions dealing with the operation of aircraft. This imposes specific obligations on the pilot in command of an aircraft, and sets out requirements for aircraft equipment and crew, as well as restrictions on certain types of aerial activity. There are additional requirements for public transport operations. Part 6 deals with arrangements for aircrew, including provisions requiring aircrew to be licensed, and how such licences are granted and maintained. Article 178 also implements article 42 of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996, which lays down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation (O.J. No. L 159, 29.6.96, p.1). Article 178 therefore requires an undertaking established in the United Kingdom which operates aircraft to take appropriate measures to assess the in-flight exposure to cosmic radiation of air crew who are liable to be subject to cosmic radiation in excess of 1 milliSievert per year, to take into account the assessed exposure when organising work schedules and to inform the workers concerned of the health risks their work involves. In accordance with article 10 of that Directive, additional provision is made for air crew who are pregnant so that the dose to the foetus will be as low as reasonably achievable and unlikely to exceed 1 milliSievert during the remainder of the pregnancy. Part 7 deals with arrangements for air traffic services, including the licensing of air traffic controllers and flight information service officers. Part 8 sets requirements for aerodromes and lighting, including a requirement to light objects, such as wind turbine generators, which may prove an obstacle to aircraft. Lights which dazzle or distract pilots, or which are otherwise liable to endanger aircraft, are prohibited. Part 9 specifies which documents and records are required to be maintained and produced. Article 230 also requires an undertaking to keep a record of the assessed exposure of air crew to cosmic radiation for the purposes of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom, to produce that record on request to the Civil Aviation Authority and to supply a copy on request to the air crew concerned. Part 10 sets out prohibited behaviour in connection with aircraft, including in relation to drunkenness, smoking and acting in a disruptive manner. It also provides for Operational Directives and Rules of the Air to be promulgated. Part 11 deals with revocations and savings, consequential amendments and transitional arrangements, and introduces Schedule 14. Part 12 consists of a review provision in article 275, which requires the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of this Order and publish a report within five years after it comes into force and within every five years after that. Following a review it will fall to the Secretary of State to consider whether this Order should remain as it is, or be revoked or be amended. A further instrument would be needed to revoke the Order or to amend it. A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR and published with the Explanatory Memorandum alongside the instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk
Offences created by this instrument
- Powers of aerodrome firefighters in an emergency article 217(3) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Power to prohibit or restrict flying article 239(4) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Rules of the Air article 249(2) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Any person who contravenes any provision specified in Part 1 of Schedule 13 is guilty of an offence and liable on… article 265(5) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Any person who contravenes any provision specified in Part 2 of Schedule 13 is guilty of an offence and liable on… article 265(6) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Any person who contravenes any provision specified in Part 3 of Schedule 13 is guilty of an offence and punishable— a… article 265(7) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Any person who contravenes the provision specified in Part 4 of Schedule 13 is guilty of an offence and punishable— a… article 265(8) · Revoked · Strict liability
- Carriage of dangerous goods article 97(2) · Revoked · Strict liability
What Parliament said about it
Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
- Drones
Commons · Written Statements · 20 February 2019 · The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Jesse Norman)
My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Baroness Sugg) has made the following written statement. Today I am setting out the Government’s recent action on drones, including legislative amendments to the Air Navigation Order 2016 that will be laid before Parliament today. Last year, the Government legislated to make flying drones above 400 feet or within 1 km of an airport boundary illegal. This 1 km restriction measure was a first step in protecting our airports and aircraft while the Department gathered further evidence and engaged with stakeholders through…
- Draft Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2022
Commons · Written Statements · 24 January 2022 · The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Robert Courts)
I have today published the draft Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2022 and an accompanying explanatory memorandum. This draft instrument amends the Air Navigation Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/765) (“the Air Navigation Order”) to update references to Regulation (EC) No. 216/2008 on common rules in the field of civil aviation, which has been repealed and replaced. The Air Navigation Order implements the UK’s obligations under the convention on international civil aviation and regulates aspects of aviation safety. It provides regulatory and enforcement powers for the Civil Aviation Authority needed in…
- Draft Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
Commons · General Committees · 18 November 2025 · Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Butler. As the Minister acknowledges, the regulations are contingent on the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which have been laid before Parliament under the negative procedure. I can offer His Majesty’s Opposition’s broad support for the instrument before us today. If we are to implement changes to regulations on unmanned aircraft use, we must ensure that there are appropriate penalties for their misuse. The fact that the penalties outlined here are largely comparable to those already established under the Air Navigation…
- Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
Lords · Grand Committee · 4 December 2025 · The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) (Lab)
My Lords, these draft regulations were laid before the House on 21 October 2025. They set out criminal offences for breaching regulatory requirements relating to the operation of unmanned or uncrewed aircraft systems—referred to henceforth as UAS—which includes drones and model aircraft. These regulations will ensure that the regulatory requirements remain enforceable and that operators and pilots of UAS remain subject to the appropriate penalties where they fail to comply with the regulatory framework. Noble Lords will wish to know that the draft regulations have been scrutinised by the…
- Draft Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Commons · General Committees · 14 April 2026 · The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Keir Mather)
I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2026. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. The draft regulations were laid before the House on 24 February. The instrument has two objectives. First, it amends article 71 of the assimilated basic regulation to give the Civil Aviation Authority the flexibility to grant exemptions. Secondly, it removes an unused criminal sanction to allow twin-engine aircraft to operate over longer distances, in line with international best practice. Currently, the CAA may grant an exemption…
- Draft Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Commons · General Committees · 14 April 2026 · Keir Mather
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point about community consultation, and the CAA’s design of noise policy takes it incredibly seriously. These exemptions are designed to be used only when other regulatory avenues are not available, but we expect all operators to take noise considerations into account. I know how important that is to his constituents, and it will be part of this work going forward. As I said, the second amendment in the instrument removes a criminal sanction in the Air Navigation Order 2016. That will enable the introduction of internationally standardised extended…
How Parliament handled it
Parliament's Statutory Instruments service records procedure from May 2017 onwards, and this instrument predates it. That is a limit of the source, not a statement that nothing happened.
Check the source
- This instrument on legislation.gov.uk The authoritative text, including amendments made since
- Other instruments from 2016