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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. 469
CIVIL AVIATION
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (His Majesty the
King’s Birthday Flypast) Regulations 2026
Made - - - - 28th April 2026
Coming into force - - 13th 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 by reason of the holding there 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) (His Majesty the
King’s Birthday Flypast) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 13th June 2026.
Interpretation
2. In regulation 3 the times referred to are Co-ordinated Universal Time(b).
Restricted airspace
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (10) and (13), beginning with 1000 hours and ending with 1300
hours on 13th 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) 522200N 0011457E,
(g) 523303N 0011457E,
(h) 523303N 0014124E, 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 (10) and (13), beginning with 1130 hours and ending with 1225 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 5,000 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 521650N 0012910E,
(b) 520500N 0015000E,
(c) 515710N 0010319E,
(d) 520058N 0005809E, and
(e) 521650N 0012910E.
(3) Subject to paragraph (10) and (13), beginning with 1135 hours and ending with 1225 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 4,000 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 515551N 0004820E,
(b) 520058N 0005809E,
(c) 515710N 0010319E,
(d) 515205N 0005331E, and
(e) 515551N 0004820E.
(4) Subject to paragraph (10) and (13), beginning with 1135 hours and ending with 1225 hours
on 13th 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) 515039N 0003538E,
(b) 515500N 0004643E,
(c) 515551N 0004820E,
(d) 515205N 0005331E,
(e) 515048N 0005103E,
(f) 514628N 0003949E, and
(g) 515039N 0003538E.
(5) Subject to paragraph (10) and (13), beginning with 1140 hours and ending with 1225 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 513433N 0000433W,
(b) 515039N 0003538E,
(c) 514628N 0003949E,
(d) 513409N 0000826E, and
(e) 513433N 0000433W.
(6) Subject to paragraph (11) and (13), beginning with 1140 hours and ending with 1225 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by—
(a) straight lines joining successively the following points—
(i) 513611N 0004133W,
(ii) 513611N 0001253W,
(b) the clockwise arc of a circle having a radius of 12 nautical miles which is centred at
512812N 0002713W between 513611N 0001253W and 513445N 0001108W,
(c) straight lines joining successively the following points—
(i) 513445N 0001108W,
(ii) 513409N 0000826E,
(iii) 512700N 0000826E,
2(iv) 512700N 0004133W, and
(v) 513611N 0004133W.
(7) Subject to paragraph (12) and (13), beginning with 1200 hours and ending with 1240 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 515008N 0004230W,
(b) 513611N 0002353W,
(c) 513611N 0004133W,
(d) 514458N 0004602W, and
(e) 515008N 0004230W.
(8) Subject to paragraph (12) and (13), beginning with 1200 hours and ending with 1240 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 514834N 0011958W,
(b) 515008N 0004230W,
(c) 514458N 0004602W,
(d) 514349N 0011753W, and
(e) 514834N 0011958W.
(9) Subject to paragraph (12) and (13), beginning with 1200 hours and ending with 1240 hours
on 13th June 2026 no aircraft is to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within the area
bounded by straight lines joining successively the following points—
(a) 514349N 0011753W,
(b) 514458N 0004602W,
(c) 513611N 0004133W,
(d) 512700N 0004133W,
(e) 512930N 0011311W,
(f) 513500N 0012100W, and
(g) 514349N 0011753W.
(10) Paragraphs (1) to (5) 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),
(b) to any aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued by—
(i) 78 Squadron Royal Air Force, Swanwick,
(ii) Norwich Radar,
(iii) the air traffic control unit at Wattisham Aerodrome,
(iv) Southend Radar, or
(v) Farnborough Radar, or
(c) to any aircraft making an approach to or departure from Norwich Airport under the
control of the air traffic control unit at that airport.
(a) S.I. 2016/1003.
(b) S.I. 2023/1101.
3(11) Paragraph (6) does not apply—
(a) insofar as flying is already prohibited by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying)
(Prisons) Regulations 2001(a), the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (City of
London) Regulations 2004(b), the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Specified Area)
Regulations 2005(c), the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Hyde Park) Regulations
2017(d),the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Windsor Castle) (Restricted Area EG
R156) Regulations 2021(e), the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Prisons and
Young Offender Institutions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2023(f) and the Air
Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Windsor Great Park) (Restricted Area EG R161)
Regulations 2025(g),
(b) to any aircraft making an approach to or departure from—
(i) London Heathrow Airport whilst under the control of either the London Terminal
Control Centre at Swanwick or the air traffic control unit at London Heathrow
Airport,
(ii) London City Airport whilst under the control of either London Terminal Control
Centre at Swanwick or the air traffic control unit at London City Airport,
(iii) Royal Air Force Northolt whilst under the control of either 78 Squadron Royal Air
Force, Swanwick or the air traffic control unit at Royal Air Force Northolt, or
(iv) The London Heliport, Battersea whilst under the control of the London Terminal
Control Centre, Swanwick or the air traffic control unit at London Heliport, or
(c) to any aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued by—
(i) 78 Squadron Royal Air Force, Swanwick, or
(ii) the London Terminal Control Centre, Swanwick.
(12) Paragraph (7) to (9) do not apply—
(a) insofar as flying is already prohibited by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying)
(Prisons and Young Offender Institutions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2023(h), or
(b) to any aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued by—
(i) 78 Squadron Royal Air Force, Swanwick,
(ii) the London Terminal Control Centre, Swanwick,
(iii) Farnborough Radar,
(iv) the Terminal Air Traffic Control Centre (TATCC) South at Royal Air Force Brize
Norton, or
(v) the air traffic control unit at—
(aa) Royal Air Force Benson, or
(bb) Oxford Airport.
(13) Paragraphs (1) to (9) do not apply to any aircraft—
(a) operated by or on behalf of—
(i) a Police Air Support Unit,
(ii) an Emergency Medical Service, or
(a) S.I. 2001/1657, amended by S.I. 2007/2377.
(b) S.I. 2004/2092.
(c) S.I. 2005/964.
(d) S.I. 2017/1300.
(e) S.I. 2021/1137.
(f) S.I. 2023/1101.
(g) S.I. 2025/1177.
(h) S.I. 2023/1101.
4(iii) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, or
(b) 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
28th 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 East Anglia and the North Sea,
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, London, and areas to the West and North of London over Berkshire,
Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire for the occasion of His Majesty the King’s Birthday Flypast
which is due to take place there on 13th June 2026.
As timings for this event 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 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) (Prisons) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/1657, amended by S.I. 2007/2377),
the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (City of London) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2092),
the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Specified Area) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/964), the
Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1003),
the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Hyde Park) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1300), the Air
Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Windsor Castle) (Restricted Area EG R156) Regulations 2021
(S.I. 2021/1137), 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) (Windsor Great Park) (Restricted Area EG R161) Regulations 2025 (S.I.
2025/1177).
The times mentioned in regulation 3 are Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is one hour
before British Summer Time (BST).
In relation to the permission mentioned in regulation 3(13)(b), the Royal Air Force King’s
Birthday Flypast Project Officer may be contacted on telephone number 07771 751710.
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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