CAA consultation proposes interim UK coordination process for civil UAS over the high seas

# What the CAA is proposing

Authority (CAA) has published a consultation setting out an interim approach for coordinating civil unmanned aircraft system (UAS) activity in the high‑seas portions of flight information regions (FIRs) for which the UK provides air traffic services: London, Scottish and Shanwick Oceanic. The aim is to protect the safety of manned civil aircraft where UAS activity extends beyond the UK's territorial sea (12 nautical miles).

# Why this matters now

UAS operations offshore are increasing for tasks such as infrastructure inspection, surveys, research and environmental monitoring. Some operations already extend, or are proposed to extend, beyond the UK's territorial waters into high‑seas airspace within UK‑delegated FIRs. The UK cannot enforce its domestic UAS regime beyond 12 NM, but under the Chicago Convention and ICAO Annex 11 it has an obligation to coordinate activities that could be hazardous to civil aviation within FIRs for which it is responsible.

ICAO has recognised that the current Convention and Annex framework does not offer a practical authorisation route for non‑certified UAS operations over the high seas and that guidance on ATS provision to remotely piloted aircraft over the high seas is needed. The CAA's consultation proposes a simple, proportionate interim model to fill that practical gap while further international work continues.

# What the consultation proposes

The CAA proposes three core measures:

• Regard all UAS activity in the high‑seas areas of UK‑delegated FIRs as "activities potentially hazardous to civil aircraft" for the purposes of air traffic coordination.
• Require UAS operators intending to fly in these areas to provide a defined set of basic information to the CAA in advance of operations.

The plan is to put the coordination process and the list of required operator information into a new section of the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).

# Practical implications for operators and airspace users

Offshore clients (energy, survey, research): organisations already holding UK Operational Authorisations or seeking to operate in high‑seas areas should prepare for an additional coordination step. The CAA intends this to be proportionate and aimed at avoiding ad‑hoc conflicts with manned traffic.

Airspace users and ATS providers: will receive notifications and may see airspace changes or promulgated information designed to separate or manage UAS activity when necessary.

# Legal and regulatory context

• The UK's domestic UAS framework for 'open' and 'specific' categories applies within land territory and territorial seas only.

• The consultation responds to a mismatch between domestic UAS rules and the practical need to coordinate UAS activity the UK is responsible for policing under its FIRs.

# Next steps signalled in the consultation

The CAA intends to implement the model via the UK AIP once the approach is agreed. The consultation is positioned as an interim, proportionate measure while ICAO continues to develop longer‑term guidance and pathways for authorising non‑certified UAS operations over the high seas.

# Bottom line

If you operate or contract UAS for offshore work that may go beyond 12 NM in UK‑delegated FIRs, you should expect a new notification/coordination requirement to make those activities visible to the CAA and to affected airspace users. The change is procedural rather than a new certification regime: its focus is on information sharing and airspace coordination to protect manned aviation safety.