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S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2026 No. 413
CIVIL AVIATION
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (King’s Birthday
Flypast Rehearsals) Regulations 2026
Made - - - - 15th April 2026
Coming into force - - 2nd June 2026
The Secretary of State has decided that it is necessary in the public interest to restrict flying in the
area specified in regulation 3(1) to (3) by reason of the holding there of rehearsals of a large
formation flypast of aircraft to commemorate the birthday of His Majesty the King.
The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by
article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016(a).
Citation and commencement
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (King’s
Birthday Flypast Rehearsals) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 2nd June 2026.
Interpretation
2. In regulation 3(1) to (3) the times referred to are Co-ordinated Universal Time(b).
Restricted airspace
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (4), beginning at 1000 hours and ending at 1300 hours on each of
the 2nd and 3rd June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 10,000 feet above mean sea level within the
area bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 530000N 0023500E,
(b) 530000N 0031300E,
(c) 521300N 0023400E,
(d) 520500N 0015000E,
(e) 522200N 0012000E,
(f) 522605N 0012753E,
(g) 523328N 0010235E,
(h) 523328N 0014215E, and
(i) 530000N 0023500E.
(a) S.I. 2016/765, amended by S.I. 2024/990; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
(b) Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).(2) Subject to paragraph (4), beginning at 1130 hours and ending at 1225 hours on each of the
2nd and 3rd June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 7,000 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 524111N 0003539E,
(b) 522605N 0012753E,
(c) 522200N 0012000E,
(d) 523636N 0003222E, and
(e) 524111N 0003539E.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), beginning at 1135 hours and ending at 1230 hours on each of the
2nd and 3rd June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 3,000 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 531619N 0004034W,
(b) 531514N 0002624W,
(c) 530114N 0002114W,
(d) 524111N 0003539E,
(e) 523636N 0003222E,
(f) 530332N 0004246W,
(g) 531459N 0004230W, and
(h) 531619N 0004034W.
(4) Paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply—
(a) insofar as flying is already prohibited by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying)
(Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2016(a), the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying)
(Prisons and Young Offender Institutions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2023(b) and
the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Ministry of Defence Prohibited Places)
Regulations 2026(c),
(b) to any aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued—
(i) by 78 Squadron Royal Air Force, Swanwick,
(ii) by the air traffic control unit at—
(aa) Norwich Airport,
(bb) Royal Air Force Lakenheath, or
(cc) Royal Air Force Marham,
(iii) by Lincolnshire Terminal Air Traffic Control Centre (TATCC),
(iv) whilst under the direction of Lincolnshire Terminal Air Traffic Control Centre
(TATCC) by the air traffic control units at—
(aa) Royal Air Force Barkston Heath,
(bb) Royal Air Force Coningsby,
(cc) Royal Air Force Cranwell, or
(dd) Royal Air Force Waddington,
(c) to any aircraft operated by or on behalf of—
(i) a Police Air Support Unit,
(ii) an Emergency Medical Service, or
(iii) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, or
(a) S.I. 2016/1003.
(b) S.I. 2023/1101.
(c) S.I. 2026/64.
2(d) to any aircraft operating with the permission of the Royal Air Force King’s Birthday
Flypast Project Officer.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Karen L Michaels
Grade 7
15th April 2026 Department for Transport
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations impose restrictions on flying in the vicinity of the North Sea adjacent to East
Anglia, then a corridor via Royal Air Force Marham Norfolk, to Royal Air Force Cranwell and
Royal Air Force Waddington Lincolnshire, where dispersal will occur, for rehearsals for the
King’s Birthday Flypast that are scheduled to take place there on the two days of 2nd and 3rd June
2026.
As timings for the rehearsals are critical and the formation may not be able to take effective
avoiding action, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree that it is in
the public interest that flying should be restricted in the relevant areas to avoid the risk that
transient aircraft may disrupt the formation.
These Regulations apply except insofar as flying is already prohibited by the Air Navigation
(Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1003), the Air
Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Prisons and Young Offender Institutions) (England and Wales)
Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1101), and the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Ministry of
Defence Prohibited Places) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/64).
The times mentioned in regulation 3(1) to (3) are Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is
one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).
In relation to the permission mentioned in regulation 3(4)(b) and (d), 78 Squadron Royal Air
Force Swanwick and the Royal Air Force King’s Birthday Flypast Project Officer may be
contacted as notified.
Full details of this Statutory Instrument will be promulgated by Aeronautical Information Circular
(AIC) and Notice to Aviation (NOTAM).
The point of contact in the Civil Aviation Authority is Mr David Ridley, Airspace Regulator,
Safety and Airspace Regulation Group, on telephone number 03301 382471.
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