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Ministry of Defence Enabling Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations from RAF Fairford – MALE

Airspace change ID: ACP-2022-083

Current status:PAUSED

The USAFE requirement for MALE RPAS at RAF Fairford remains but due to the

significant assessed impacts of MALE RPAS transit, the Sponsor has elected

to pause the ACP to allow additional time to assess alternate means of

compliance with the current regulatory framework.

Current step:: Develop and Assess Gateway
Created:: 08 November 2022
Last updated:: 05 May 2023

Purpose of this change

This proposal is for a Permanent change to the notified airspace design, and the change level is TBC.

ACP-2021-078 described a requirement for segregated airspace to facilitate RPA operations from RAF Fairford, including climb/descent for HALE and MALE RPAs and onward transit for MALE RPAs. The complexity introduced by medium-level transit corridors threatened to delay the entire project, therefore the decision has been made to split the ACP into separate HALE and MALE elements. This new ACP aims to establish suitable segregated airspace to enable MALE RPA transition between RAF Fairford and the FIR boundaries.

Develop and Assess Gateway

This step has been started

At the Develop and Assess Gateway, the CAA completes a regulatory assessment of the change sponsor's outputs and relevant supporting evidence to determine whether the airspace change process requirements of Stage 2 have been followed.

Stage 1 : Define
Define Gateway : Define Gateway
Stage 2 : Develop and Assess
Develop and Assess Gateway : Develop and Assess Gateway
Stage 3 : Consultation/Engagement Preparation
Consult/Engage Gateway : Consult/Engage Gateway
Stage 3 : Commence Consultation/Engagement
Stage 3 : Collate and Review Responses
Stage 4 : Update and Submit
Stage 5 : Decide
CAA Decision : CAA Decision
Stage 6 : Implement
Stage 7 : PIR

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Ministry of Defence Enabling Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations from RAF Fairford – MALE

Purpose of this change

Develop and Assess Gateway

Citizen Space Consultation

CAA response to Develop and Assess Gateway

Documents for this proposal (23 documents)

ACP Split Explanation Letter (76.2kB PDF)

Agreed Timeline Change (179.5kB PDF)

Stage 2 Gateway Action - Clarification Letter (35.6kB PDF)

2B Initial Options Appraisal (2.3MB PDF)

2A Design Principle Evaluation (3.5MB PDF)

Meeting Minutes - NATS (40.3kB PDF)

Meeting Minutes - London Oxford Airport (113.8kB PDF)

Meeting Minutes - VOWH (113.2kB PDF)

Meeting Minutes BGA (113.1kB PDF)

Stakeholder Engagement Feedback (12.3MB PDF)

Stage 2A Feedback Form (65.7kB PDF)

Stage 2A Initial Options Engagement Letter (1.1MB PDF)

Stage 1 Submission V2 (1.3MB PDF)

Oxfordshire RAUWG Minutes - 9 Mar 22 (316.8kB PDF)

Oxfordshire RAUWG Presentation (807.0kB PDF)

Stage 1 Submission (2.2MB PDF)

Engagement Local Authorities (160.0kB PDF)

Engagement Airspace Users (201.8kB PDF)

Timeline Change (180.9kB PDF)

Assessment Meeting Minutes (184.3kB PDF)

Assessment Meeting Presentation (369.1kB PDF)

Assessment Meeting Agenda (46.7kB PDF)

Statement of Need (88.5kB PDF)

Potentially affected area