**Executive Summary**
Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 645 establishes flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft during the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to ensure public safety and security. These regulations prohibit drone operations below 1,200 feet in designated areas between 23 July 2026 and 2 August 2026. Operators must adhere to specific geographic and temporal boundaries unless granted express permission by Police Scotland.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**General Flight Prohibitions**
* Unmanned aircraft are prohibited from flying below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within the specified restricted areas.
* All restricted times are provided in Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).
**Restricted Area 1 (Primary Zone)**
* **Duration:** Effective daily from 06:00 to 22:00 UTC, starting 23 July 2026 and ending 2 August 2026.
* **Location:** An area defined by a complex polygon of 46 specific geographical coordinates (Regulation 3(1)(a) to (tt)).
**Restricted Area 2 (Secondary Zone)**
* **Duration:** Effective daily from 06:00 to 22:00 UTC, starting 27 July 2026 and ending 1 August 2026.
* **Location:** A circular area with a radius of 1 nautical mile, centered at 555255N 0042032W.
**Exemptions and Communications**
* Restrictions do not apply to unmanned aircraft flying with permission issued by the Police Scotland Aviation Safety and Security Unit.
* Full details of the instrument will be distributed via Briefing Sheets and Notices to Aviation (NOTAM).
* The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Airspace Regulator serves as the official point of contact for these regulations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Unmanned Aircraft Operators**
**Impact**
Operators are legally barred from flying drones below 1,200 feet in large sections of Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games. Unauthorized flights within these zones during the specified dates and times would constitute a regulatory violation.
**Action Required**
Operators must review the specific coordinates and timelines to ensure flight paths do not enter restricted airspace. If a flight is essential, they must contact the Police Scotland Aviation Safety and Security Unit to seek permission.
**Police Scotland Aviation Safety and Security Unit**
**Impact**
The unit is designated as the sole authority capable of granting exemptions to these flight restrictions.
**Action Required**
The unit must manage, review, and issue permissions for unmanned aircraft operations within the restricted zones as deemed appropriate for safety and security.
**Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)**
**Impact**
The CAA is responsible for the formal communication and regulatory oversight of these restrictions.
**Action Required**
The CAA must promulgate the details of the Statutory Instrument through official channels, including Briefing Sheets and NOTAMs, and provide regulatory guidance through its Safety and Airspace Regulation Group.
Key Entities Referenced
Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Commonwealth Games, Glasgow) Regulations 2026: The statutory instrument establishing flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft during the specified sporting event.
Air Navigation Order 2016: The primary legislation under which the Secretary of State exercised powers to create these flight restriction regulations.
Commonwealth Games, Glasgow: The international multi-sport event serving as the primary reason and temporal context for the airspace restrictions.
Police Scotland Aviation Safety and Security Unit: The designated authority empowered to grant permissions for unmanned aircraft to fly within the restricted airspace.
Glasgow, Scotland: The central location where the airspace restrictions and the event take place.
S T A T U T O R Y I N S T R U M E N T S
2026 No. 645
CIVIL AVIATION
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Commonwealth
Games, Glasgow) Regulations 2026
Made - - - - 16th June 2026
Coming into force - - 23rd July 2026
The Secretary of State has decided that it is necessary in the public interest to restrict the flying of
unmanned aircraft in the areas specified in regulation 3(1) and (2) by reason of the intended
gathering there of a large number of persons.
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)
(Commonwealth Games, Glasgow) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 23rd July 2026.
Interpretation
2. The times referred to in regulation 3(1) and (2) are Co-ordinated Universal Time(b).
Restricted airspace
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), beginning with 0600 hours and ending with 2200 hours on
each of the eleven days beginning with 23rd July 2026 and ending with 2nd August 2026 no
unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by the
following points—
(a) 555241N 0041724W,
(b) 555242N 0041718W,
(c) 555245N 0041715W,
(d) 555245N 0041714W,
(e) 555247N 0041710W,
(f) 555246N 0041708W,
(g) 555243N 0041703W,
(h) 555241N 0041658W,
(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).(i) 555241N 0041651W,
(j) 555240N 0041645W,
(k) 555237N 0041617W,
(l) 555228N 0041614W,
(m) 555220N 0041608W,
(n) 555215N 0041607W,
(o) 555208N 0041600W,
(p) 555157N 0041604W,
(q) 555157N 0041605W,
(r) 555150N 0041606W,
(s) 555142N 0041608W,
(t) 555133N 0041611W,
(u) 555121N 0041612W,
(v) 555111N 0041613W,
(w) 555106N 0041616W,
(x) 555103N 0041622W,
(y) 555102N 0041625W,
(z) 555101N 0041628W,
(aa) 555100N 0041635W,
(bb) 555100N 0041638W,
(cc) 555059N 0041641W,
(dd) 555058N 0041646W,
(ee) 555057N 0041658W,
(ff) 555058N 0041710W,
(gg) 555100N 0041723W,
(hh) 555100N 0041728W,
(ii) 555058N 0041741W,
(jj) 555103N 0041742W,
(kk) 555103N 0041805W,
(ll) 555114N 0041906W,
(mm) 555130N 0041852W,
(nn) 555143N 0041845W,
(oo) 555151N 0041836W,
(pp) 555202N 0041818W,
(qq) 555214N 0041758W,
(rr) 555233N 0041736W,
(ss) 555237N 0041731W, and
(tt) 555241N 0041724W.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), beginning with 0600 hours and ending with 2200 hours on each of
the six days beginning with 27th July 2026 and ending with 1st August 2026 no unmanned aircraft
is to fly below 1,200 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius
of 1 nautical mile centred at 555255N 0042032W.
2(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not apply to any unmanned aircraft flying in accordance with a
permission issued by the Police Scotland Aviation Safety and Security Unit.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Karen L Michaels
Grade 7
16th June 2026 Department for Transport
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations impose restrictions on the flying of unmanned aircraft in the vicinity of
Glasgow, Scotland during the Commonwealth Games that are scheduled to take place there on
23rd July 2026 to 2nd August 2026, inclusive. The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department
for Transport agree that it is necessary in the public interest to restrict the flying of unmanned
aircraft for reasons of public safety and security.
The times mentioned in regulation 3(1) and (2) are Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is
one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).
In relation to the permission mentioned in regulation 3(3), the Police Scotland Aviation Safety and
Security Unit may be contacted as notified.
Full details of this Statutory Instrument will be promulgated by Briefing Sheet and Notice to
Aviation (NOTAM).
The point of contact in the Civil Aviation Authority is Mr Thomas Shainberg, Airspace Regulator,
Safety and Airspace Regulation Group, contactable on telephone number 03301 382515.
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