The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued NOTAM SW2026/424 establishing temporary restricted airspace for four sequential helicopter flights linking London, Aberfan in South Wales, Hereford and the military danger area EGR106 on 21 October. The flights are believed to involve senior government or royal passengers; the CAA has not disclosed identities for security reasons. The restrictions run from surface to 3,000 feet and are time-specific, but they intersect several general-aviation corridors used by business-charter operators and air-ambulance services. Pilots must obtain permission from Special Branch Airspace Security or route around the exclusion zones, adding up to 15 minutes’ flight time between London and the West Midlands. Corporate flight departments should review the briefing sheet and adjust itineraries for executive helicopters, particularly those operating to Battersea Heliport or private sites along the Thames. Failure to comply can result in interception by military aircraft and a potential prosecution under Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016. The alert is another reminder that ad-hoc VIP movements can impose operational constraints with minimal notice; contingency fuel planning and ground-transport backups remain best practice for high-priority journeys.
Source: Skywise – UK CAA
