Proposed amendments to the UK Performance-Based Navigation Regulation

Closes 16 Jan 2025

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Policy proposal

The current legislative framework for the deployment of PBN in the UK is incomplete and fragmented. The UK PBN Regulation only incorporated those elements from the EU Regulation that were in force and that applied in the UK on 31st December 2020. Other PBN requirements for specific UK aerodromes are contained in the UK PCP Regulation, on the establishment of the Pilot Common Project supporting the implementation of the European ATM Master Plan. This has resulted in legal requirements relating to PBN being spread across the UK statute book. There has also been unintended divergence between the UK and EU in this area because of changes made in both jurisdictions (in the UK, to address deficiencies arising from EU Exit; in the EU, as part of recent updates).

We believe that PBN legislation must be amended to ensure timeliness in line with both the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and the AMS, and consistency in application and interoperability through standardisation of system performance. Currently, the requirements for the deployment of PBN are subject to specific conditions and only apply to ATM/ANS providers at certain UK aerodromes. This does not deliver the necessary regulatory framework to support the modernisation of the UK airspace and the redesign of terminal airspace as defined by ICAO GANP Element APTA and the UK Delivery Element UK-ABN/2 of the AMS.

We therefore propose to amend and consolidate the UK PBN Regulation and the UK PCP Regulation into a single instrument that governs the deployment of PBN in the UK.

We propose to:

  • require providers of ATM/ANS to implement PBN on all instrument runway ends in the UK;
  • require PBN to be implemented in the UK by a specific date;
  • bring London (Gatwick), London (Heathrow), London (Stansted) and Manchester airports within the scope of the amended UK PBN Regulation, so that deployment of PBN at those aerodromes is delivered under the same framework as other UK civil aerodromes;
  • ensure that deployment of PBN is appropriate to a UK context; and
  • achieve consistency in application and maintain interoperability with the EU.
5. Do you agree with the case we have made for amending and consolidating the UK PBN Regulation and the UK PCP Regulation?
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6. Do you believe that our proposals to amend and consolidate the UK PBN and PCP regulations will support the development of a systemised, sustainable, and modernised airspace network in line with the AMS?
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