UK Airspace Design Service

London's airspace is among the busiest in the world and needs modernisation. Much of today's airspace structure was originally designed in the 1960s for significantly fewer aircraft and has not been fundamentally redesigned despite increases in air traffic and major advances in aircraft technology.

Working together, the CAA and the Department for Transport have developed a shared vision for the modernisation of UK airspace. That vision is to deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys and more capacity for the benefit of those who use and are affected by UK airspace.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are working together as co-sponsors for the modernisation of the UK’s airspace. Modernising airspace will:  

  • update its structural design  
  • change how the systems on which it runs work  
  • use new technology to improve how air traffic is integrated and managed

As part of this programme, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) established the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS). In June 2025, UKADS was confirmed as the central coordinating body for airspace modernisation and is initially focused on modernising the complex airspace surrounding London as part of the wider UK programme.

For LLA, this means that future airspace changes will be developed as part of a coordinated national programme, with oversight from the CAA and wider government objectives for airspace modernisation.

While airspace modernisation is being coordinated through a national programme, we remain committed to keeping local communities informed, explaining what any future proposals may mean for them, and listening to their views.

For further information on UKADS and the UK's Airspace Modernisation Programme, please visit the CAA website here.

You may also be interested in the following website which provides more information and videos regarding airspace modernisation: oneskyoneplan.uk

Any enquiries regarding UKADS should be directed to [email protected]