Updated July 2026 50 AIRPORTS • FLIGHT RESTRICTION ZONES

Drone Rules Near UK Airports: Flight Restriction Zones at 50 Aerodromes (2026)

From Heathrow to the remotest Scottish island strip — every protected UK airport has a Flight Restriction Zone you cannot fly a drone in without permission. Here is what the zone is, exactly how big it is, and the honest position at 50 airports, each with its own guide.

The short answer

You cannot fly a drone near a UK airport without permission. Every protected aerodrome has a Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ), and flying inside it — at any height, with any drone, including sub-250 g models — requires permission from the airport's air traffic control (or the aerodrome operator where there is no ATC). The zone is a circle of 2–2.5 nautical miles around the runway plus 5 km × 1 km corridors off each runway end, up to 2,000 ft. On top of that the CAA rules always apply: a Flyer ID and Operator ID, a 120 m (400 ft) height limit, visual line of sight, and no flying over crowds. Flying in an FRZ without permission is a criminal offence — fines up to around £2,500, and far more for endangering an aircraft. Below: the position at 50 UK airports.

Before you fly

What a Flight Restriction Zone is — and how big

An FRZ is a legal no-fly area for drones around a protected airport, unless you have permission. According to the CAA, each zone is built from two shapes, and both reach up to 2,000 ft above ground level:

  • The aerodrome traffic zone — a circle of 2 or 2.5 nautical mile radius (about 3.7–4.6 km), centred on the longest runway
  • Runway protection zones — rectangles 1 km wide extending 5 km from the end of each runway, following the approach and departure paths
  • A possible 1 km extension beyond the aerodrome boundary to close any gaps
  • Every drone is covered — the permission requirement applies regardless of weight, including sub-250 g drones
  • Permission comes first — contact air traffic control at the airport, or the aerodrome operator if there is no ATC, before you fly
New to UK drone rules? Read our full UK Drone Law Guide 2026, our A–Z of 168 UK locations, and our guide to the best places to fly a drone in the UK.
The complete index

All 50 UK airports, by region

Every airport has its own detailed guide covering the exact Flight Restriction Zone, how far it reaches, and who to contact for permission. Find yours below.

London & South East England (7)

London Heathrow Airport London Gatwick Airport London Stansted Airport London Luton Airport London City Airport London Biggin Hill Airport Farnborough Airport

Southern & South West England (6)

Southampton Airport Bournemouth Airport Bristol Airport Exeter Airport Cornwall Airport Newquay London Oxford Airport

Eastern England (3)

Cambridge Airport Norwich Airport Cranfield Airport

The Midlands (3)

Birmingham Airport East Midlands Airport Coventry Airport

Northern England (8)

Manchester Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport Leeds Bradford Airport Doncaster Sheffield Airport Humberside Airport Newcastle Airport Teesside Airport (Durham Tees Valley) Blackpool Airport

Scotland — Mainland (6)

Edinburgh Airport Glasgow Airport Aberdeen Airport Dundee Airport Inverness Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Scotland — Highlands & Islands (8)

Barra Airport Benbecula Airport Islay Airport Kirkwall Airport Stornoway Airport Sumburgh Airport Tiree Airport Wick John O'Groats Airport

Wales (4)

Cardiff Airport Anglesey Airport Hawarden Airport St Athan Airport

Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man (5)

Belfast City Airport Belfast International Airport Guernsey Airport Jersey Airport Isle of Man Airport
Important

Why the airport zone catches so many pilots out

Airport incursions are one of the most common serious drone offences in the UK, and usually for avoidable reasons:

  • The zone follows the runways — a 5 km corridor means a spot that feels far from the terminal can still be inside the FRZ
  • Small drones are not exempt — the sub-250 g registration break does not apply to the FRZ permission rule
  • Rural does not mean open — countryside near an airport is still restricted airspace
  • Height is no escape — the zone runs from the ground up to 2,000 ft, so flying low does not make it legal
  • Enforcement is real — airports monitor for drones and incursions can close runways and bring police involvement
Source: CAA — Aerodromes, heliports and spaceports →
Method

How to fly legally near an airport

If your location is anywhere near an aerodrome, work through these five steps before you launch:

1

Check the zone

Open a drone-safety app such as Drone Assist and confirm whether your take-off point is inside an FRZ — remember the zone follows the runways.

2

Find the contact

Inside a zone, identify the airport's air traffic control, or the aerodrome operator where there is no ATC. Our airport guides link the details.

3

Request permission

Contact them in advance with your location, height, time and duration. Expect conditions, or a refusal at busy airports.

4

Cover the basics

Carry your Flyer ID and Operator ID, stay at or below 120 m, keep visual line of sight, and never fly over crowds.

5

Re-check on the day

Airspace and temporary restrictions change. Check again just before you fly, and keep any permission and conditions with you.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Only with permission, and only if you follow the airport's Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) rules. Every protected UK aerodrome has an FRZ around it, and you must not fly a drone or model aircraft inside that zone unless you have been given permission by air traffic control at the airport, or by the aerodrome operator. This applies before you take off, at any height. The FRZ exists to keep drones away from aircraft taking off and landing, where a collision would be most dangerous. Outside the zone the normal CAA rules still apply, but inside it the permission requirement is absolute. Our index below links to a dedicated guide for each of 50 UK airports so you can check the exact situation where you want to fly.
A Flight Restriction Zone is a volume of airspace around a protected aerodrome where you cannot fly a drone without permission. It was introduced under the UK's air navigation legislation specifically to protect airports. The FRZ is made up of the aerodrome's traffic zone plus protected corridors along each runway, and it applies from the ground up to 2,000 ft. Crucially, an FRZ is a legal no-fly area for drones unless permission is granted — it is not merely advisory. Because the zones are shaped around runways rather than drawn as a simple circle, the only reliable way to know whether your location is inside one is to check a drone-safety app or map before every flight.
According to the CAA, an airport FRZ has two parts. The first is the aerodrome traffic zone: a circle of 2 or 2.5 nautical mile radius (roughly 3.7 to 4.6 km, depending on the airport) centred on the longest runway, extending up to 2,000 ft above ground level. The second is the runway protection zones: rectangular corridors 1 km wide that extend 5 km out from the end of each runway, also up to 2,000 ft. In some cases the zone reaches a further 1 km beyond the aerodrome boundary to close gaps. This means the restricted area can stretch several kilometres from the airport in the direction of the runways, which is why locations that feel a long way from the terminal can still be inside the zone.
Yes. To fly inside an FRZ you must have permission before you take off. The CAA's guidance is to contact air traffic control (ATC) at the airport and request permission to fly. If the aerodrome does not have an air traffic control unit, you contact the aerodrome operator or its flight information service instead. Permission is at the airport's discretion, may come with conditions such as a height limit or a time window, and can be refused — busy airports rarely grant recreational requests. You should make contact well in advance rather than turning up and calling from the field. Each airport publishes its own drone-contact details, and our individual airport guides point you to them.
Yes. This is the point most people get wrong. The Flight Restriction Zone rule applies to every drone regardless of weight — including sub-250g models like the popular DJI Mini series. Registration requirements depend on weight (you need an Operator ID and Flyer ID for drones of 250 g or more, or any drone with a camera), but the FRZ permission requirement does not. A tiny drone in an airport zone is just as much of a hazard to an airliner as a large one, so the law treats them the same. If you are inside an FRZ, you need permission whatever you are flying.
It is a criminal offence, and the consequences are serious. Flying in a Flight Restriction Zone without permission can bring a fine — common breaches attract penalties up to around £2,500 — and endangering the safety of an aircraft carries far higher penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years. Airports monitor for drones, and incursions near major airports are treated as major incidents that can close runways and involve the police. Beyond the legal risk, flying near aircraft is genuinely dangerous. Given how easy it is to check the zone and, where possible, request permission, flying blind near an airport is never worth it.
Plan ahead. First, confirm your intended take-off and flight area is actually inside the FRZ using a drone-safety app. Then identify the right point of contact: for airports with air traffic control that is the ATC unit; for smaller airfields it is the aerodrome operator or flight information service. Contact them in advance, explain exactly where and when you want to fly, at what height, and for how long, and be ready for conditions or a refusal. For commercial or professional work you may also need the appropriate CAA authorisation and, at the location itself, the landowner's permission to take off and land. Keep any permission and conditions with you when you fly.
The same principle applies: many heliports, smaller airfields and other aviation sites are also protected and have their own restriction zones, even though they are quieter than major airports. Helicopter sites in particular can generate sudden low-level traffic, and offshore-support heliports such as Aberdeen are extremely busy. Never assume a small or rural airfield is safe to fly near just because you cannot see much activity. Check a drone-safety map for a restriction zone around any aviation site, and if one exists, follow the same permission process before you fly. When in doubt, treat any airfield as protected until you have confirmed otherwise.
Use a drone-safety app or map before every flight. The most widely used in the UK is Drone Assist from NATS, and several other apps show Flight Restriction Zones as well. Enter or locate your intended take-off point and check whether it falls inside an airport zone — remember the zone follows the runways, so a spot that looks clear on a plain map may still be inside a protection corridor. Because airspace can change and temporary restrictions appear, check on the day rather than relying on memory. Our individual guides for all 50 airports below give you the picture for each one, but a live airspace check is always the final step before you launch.
TS

Takayuki Sawai

Certified Administrative Scrivener (Gyoseishoshi). Researches drone compliance across 10 countries, including UK CAA airspace and Flight Restriction Zones. Over 20 years in Hiroshima prefectural administration.

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