CAA – Confusion over Channel airspace restrictions

There has been some confusion over restrictions for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations over the Channel. This is partly due to the way the French produce NOTAMS and how the third party apps presents them.

Manned and unmanned aircraft pilots seeing a large restricted airspace structure over the south east coast are only seeing the NOTAM which covers all the areas for the purposes of deactivation and or activation.

The actual areas can be found within the AIP Supplements published by each nation.

For Temporary Danger Area (High Seas) and Temporary Restricted Areas (France) French Directorate Of Maritime Affairs BVLOS Operations, pilots are to read the NOTAM fully and be aware of two documentswhich are associated with the airspace restrictions.

Both the UK and French authorities have published AIP Supplements for their independent regions:

The UK AIP Supplement is available at under ‘UK AIP Supplements (SUPs)’ at www.nats-uk.ead-it.com

The French AIP Supplement is available at www.SIA.aviation-civile.gouv.fr