From concept to consultation

Scotland’s lower airspace is based on a design built for aircraft and navigation technology that belong to another era. Demand has grown, aircraft have changed and the invisible infrastructure that keeps flights safely moving needs a comprehensive upgrade to keep pace.

Scottish Airspace Modernisation is a major step in the UK-wide plan to improve how we manage the skies. It’s a key deliverable within NATS’ airspace modernisation programme, developed in partnership with Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport, and backed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The proposal covers 61,000 km² – the equivalent to roughly 80% of Scotland’s land area – and is used by about 200,000 flights each year. Our modelling suggests it will enable 18,000 tonnes of CO₂e savings a year ¹ (equivalent to the emissions from the power used by over 5,000 homes). Improved routing introduced by the changes will lead to 6% fewer aircraft needing to hold before arriving at the airports.²

Airspace change is a highly challenging process. It’s akin to introducing a new national road network while the traffic keeps moving. Aircraft routes need to be re-engineered, so safety, capacity and environmental performance all improve together. The challenge in the UK is how to make best use of limited space while accommodating the hugely complex demands placed on our airspace as a major transatlantic gateway to and from Europe. The UK handles 25% of European air traffic with only about a tenth of the continent’s airspace.

Airspace change boundaries

Two frameworks steer how decisions are made and how people take part. The DfT’s Air Navigation Guidance 2017 details how airspace choices should reflect safety, efficiency and the needs of people on the ground. Alongside this sits the CAA’s seven-stage airspace change process (CAP1616), a structured and legally grounded framework for altering UK airspace safely and transparently.

By following these policies and procedures closely, we tailor our airspace design priorities depending on altitude. Effective airspace change must strike the right balance between minimising the impact on people and improving environmental efficiency. This dictates that at higher levels (above 7,000ft) where NATS leads on the design, we target track-mile and carbon reductions by streamlining routes. While environmental benefits are prioritised over noise mitigation at this altitude, we also aim to minimise impact on communities as much as possible. One way we’re doing this in Scotland is by raising minimum hold heights to keep aircraft higher for longer, making them more efficient and quieter to people below.

Below 7,000ft airports lead the design of departures, arrivals and approaches that keep aircraft on precise, predictable tracks. The design priority at this level is a noise impact for local communities.

Before any design goes to consultation, it’s validated and tested through modelling, simulation, safety assessment, and coordinated with airports, the military, neighbouring air navigation service providers and oceanic interfaces. This ensures any proposed improvements in one area don’t create delays elsewhere.

The Scottish Airspace Modernisation consultation is open until 25 January 2026. This is a real opportunity for individuals, communities and organisations to influence the final design. All feedback – positive, negative or neutral – will be reviewed by airspace specialists and used to refine the proposals so that Scotland’s future airspace is not just technically sound but shaped by the people who fly in it, work in it, and live beneath it.

Learn more and respond to the consultation here: Home – Scottish Airspace Modernisation

¹ CO₂e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, is a metric used to measure and compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential (GWP).
² Figures based on detailed modelling to assess the potential enabled impacts of the proposed cluster-wide design.