Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the average time taken to approve Special Use Airspace applications for Beyond Visual Line of Sight uncrewed air system operations under Civil Air Publication 1616 in the latest period for which data is available.

The CAA assesses Special Use Airspace applications, including those for BVLOS operations, under the CAP1616 process to ensure safety, proportionality, and fairness for all airspace users.

The CAA is currently consulting on reforms to CAP1616, including a more proportionate approach to BVLOS airspace, to improve clarity, efficiency, and transparency while maintaining safety.

Application timescales vary depending on complexity and completeness, with straightforward cases often completed within weeks to a few months

The CAA continues to support safe, innovative BVLOS operations in line with the UK’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy.