British Transport Police: Unmanned Air Systems
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers define the segregated airspace within which British Transport Police are permitted to fly drones beyond visual line-of-sight.
Answered by Keir Mather
As Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations are not yet integrated with other airspace users, the Civil Aviation Authority imposes segregated airspace structures to manage safety risks of such operations.
In certain circumstances, state operated drone flights, which can include those operated by British Transport Police, are exempt from the application of the Basic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, Article 2(3)(a)).
This provision generally excludes from the Regulation ‘state aircraft operations, including police and ‘similar activities’, where under the control and responsibility of the United Kingdom, and when undertaken in the public interest by or on behalf of a public authority.
Even where an exemption applies, such operations must still adhere to key provisions of the Air Navigation Order 2016 to maintain aviation safety for other airspace users as well as the public.
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