The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published its final recommendations to overhaul domestic drone regulations, aiming to simplify rules, enhance safety and support the growth of the UAS sector.
Outlined in its response to the Review of UK UAS Regulations (CAP 2610), the proposals span five key areas: simplifying regulations, improving user knowledge, ensuring minimum safety standards, addressing security risks and enabling long-term sector growth. The recommendations will be submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) for approval.
Key proposals:
- Simplified Categories: Rename the Open Category subcategories from A1/A2/A3 to ‘Over people’, ‘Near people’ and ‘Far from people’ for clarity.
- Legacy Drones: Permit indefinite use of most legacy drones under current operational rules, minimizing disruption and cost.
- Class Markings: Introduce UK-specific product markings (UK0–UK6) and allow EU-class drones to operate under UK rules until at least 2028.
- Remote ID & Geo-awareness: Phase in Direct Remote ID and geo-awareness for applicable drones starting January 2026, with full implementation by 2028.
- Registration & Training: Require remote pilots of drones weighing 100g or more to pass a free online Flyer ID test, replacing current thresholds tied to toy classification.
- Safety Features: Mandate flashing lights for night operations and introduce product safety standards for drones in the Open Category.
The CAA emphasized that the proposals are intended to reduce complexity for users, strengthen compliance and future-proof the regulatory framework. A public consultation received 3,477 responses, which shaped the final policy. If ratified by the DfT, new rules will be enacted through a statutory instrument, with implementation timelines to be announced.
“Our approach aims to create a world-leading regulatory environment for UAS that balances safety and security needs with supporting the sector to flourish,” the CAA stated.
