Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2026.

(2) This Order comes into force on 3rd March 2026.

(3) This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Amendment of the Air Navigation Order 2016

2.—(1) The Air Navigation Order 2016(3) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 265E (offences: tethered small unmanned aircraft)—

(a)in paragraph (2)(b)—

(i)after paragraph (ii) insert—

“(iia)point UAS.OPEN.040(A1) (horizontal distance from uninvolved persons)(4);”;

(ii)in paragraph (iv), for “horizontal distances” substitute “horizontal distance from certain areas”;

(iii)after paragraph (iv) insert—

“(iva)point UAS.OPEN.040(2A) (horizontal distance from buildings)(5);”;

(b)in paragraph (3)—

(i)after “(2)(b)(i), ” insert “(2)(b)(iia),”;

(ii)after “(2)(b)(iv)” insert “, (2)(b)(iva)”.

(3) In Schedule 1 (interpretation), in paragraph 1—

(a)in the definition of “Sailplane Regulation” omit “, as amended from time to time”;

(b)for the definition of “Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation” substitute—

““Unmanned Aircraft Implementing Regulation” means Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft(6), as last amended by the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025(7);”.

Amendment of the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021

3. In paragraph (a) of paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 9 to the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021(8) (provision by remote pilots of information about UAS operators), in each of sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), omit “of 250g or more”.