Why airspace needs modernising - Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG)

Airspace is a crucial part of the UK’s infrastructure, and just like our roads and railways, it must be improved to keep people moving as efficiently as possible.

However, many planes across the UK still fly on many of the same routes that were put in place in the 1950s, when our airspace was designed for use by a fraction of the flights that we see today. Fast forward to 2024, and air travel has grown exponentially with over 2.5 million flights passing through the UK’s airspace a year. And this is forecast to continue to increase.

Flying these outdated routes is inefficient and the system is now reaching capacity, with many flights experiencing delays. If the UK’s airspace is not modernised, NATS estimates that by 2040, delays may increase by over 200% which would result in 1 in 5 flights experiencing disruption for over 45 minutes.

But with modern technology and aircraft, we can upgrade the way we use our skies to make things work more efficiently. It will mean fewer delays for passengers and reduced carbon emissions per flight thanks to more direct and efficient routes. For those communities living around airports, aviation noise performance has improved significantly in recent decades, driven by the introduction of quieter aircraft, and airspace modernisation is expected to result in a further reduction in the average noise levels per flight.

Benefits of airspace modernisation

Airspace modernisation will benefit a wide range of people, in different ways. This includes:

Stakeholder	Benefits description
For passengers and the wider economy	Fewer flight delays and service disruptions are expected to save time and improve the passenger experience. Also the capacity to add new routes and accommodate new flights will lead to more choice, better value, and enhanced global connections that drive economic growth.
For airlines	More airspace capacity will reduce delays while maintaining high levels of safety. Modernisation will also improve flight efficiency, punctuality and costs per flight, enabling the airlines to the capitalise on the performance of their modern fleets of aircraft.
For airports	Modernisation is expected to strengthen resilience against adverse weather conditions, reduce delays on the ground pre-departure caused by capacity constraints in the airspace and potentially increase runway throughput during busy periods.
For local communities	The priority for airspace modernisation at lower altitudes is to limit and, where possible, reduce the total adverse effects of aircraft noise on people. Modernisation is expected to deliver a reduction in average noise levels per flight, although for some communities the redistribution of noise between different areas may lead to disruption for communities living under new flight paths.
For other airspace users	Modernisation offers the opportunity for other airspace users to access more volumes of airspace that are not required by commercial air transport through the release of Controlled Airspace.
For the Military	Airspace modernisation will continue to ensure that Military operators have access to suitably sized and sited areas of airspace to fulfil defence and national security objectives, recognising that new military aircraft and weapons platforms often require larger volumes of airspace in which to train and maintain operational readiness.