The GA Alliance is strongly opposed to what it believes is a flawed CAA decision to implement the large areas of controlled airspace described in CAP1678 and believes that the CAA must withdraw its decision for further review
The GA Alliance recognises that the CAA as the independent regulator of UK airspace has significant responsibilities, including that the CAA is required to secure the most efficient use of the airspace consistent with the safe operation of aircraft and the expeditious flow of air traffic.
The CAA is required to make an airspace change decision in an impartial and evidence-based way that takes proper account of the needs and interests of all affected stakeholders.
Many of the deeply concerning aspects of the CAA’s decision described in CAP1678 have been recently articulated in statements by other organisations, including the potential increase in mid-air collision risk caused by designing-in significant choke points. The CAA’s assertion that the decision has been made on safety grounds is not evidence based.
In addition, the GA Alliance believes that;
• It is irresponsible for the CAA to make a judgement on an airspace change based on movement projections whilst failing to supply the data that justifies how the decision could possibly represent efficient use of airspace. Farnborough airport movements are, year on year, 50% of those projected as part of its airspace change justification and represent a small proportion of the total other GA movements in the area affected by the new controlled airspace
• It is inappropriate that CAA has apparently considered relevant a requirement by the TAG/Farnborough board that all Farnborough movements must be contained within controlled airspace
• It defies logic that the CAA has made the decision to allocate a large area of airspace in the south east of England to TAG/Farnborough just ahead of the UK embarking on airspace modernisation requiring significant levels of project co-ordination and consultation
The GA Alliance is supportive of others efforts to formally challenge and stop the CAA decision, which will otherwise increase a known safety risk as well as unnecessarily and inequitably impact on the majority of airspace users.
