The UK has announced a major shake-up of flight paths, intended to reduce pollution, make way for flying taxis and speed up journeys.
New laws were set out today to enable the largest redesign of UK airspace since it was first formed in the 1950s, when there were around 200,000 flights per year, compared to 2.7 million in 2024. Redesigned "skyways" could allow planes to climb more quickly during take-off and descend more smoothly, reducing noise and air pollution for residents who live along flight routes, the government suggested.
It could also lead to fewer delays and quieter take-offs, although this has been disputed by some residents' groups concerned about noise near runways and the effect on house prices. British Airways said recently that using AI has allowed it to increase punctuality at Heathrow, to a point at which more than 90 per cent of its flights are leaving on time.
The exact new flight paths have not yet been revealed. As part of the consultation leading up to the new laws, a team examined how planes fly in and out of London's airspace, which air-traffic controllers say is one of the busiest and most complex in the world, with take-offs and landings at five major airports and several smaller ones. They aimed to use modern technology to find more efficient flight paths to reduce time in the air, for example through holding patterns before receiving permission to land.
There are more than 8,000 flights daily on some of the UK's busiest days. The new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will be fully operational by the end of 2025. UKADS’ initial focus will be on redesigning London’s airspace, including expansion at Heathrow. Over a longer timeframe, routes could be designed that support flight paths for new and emerging technologies such as drones and flying taxis, it said.
Heathrow Airport: 1958 v 2020
The Aviation Minister Mike Kane said: "Redesigned ‘skyways’ will turbocharge growth in the aviation industry, not least by boosting airport expansion plans and supporting job creation, driving millions into the UK economy. Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce pollution from flying and will set the industry up for a long-term, sustainable future."
The plans come as global forecasts suggest a near-doubling of passengers and cargo in the next 20 years. Rob Bishton, chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: "Modernising our airspace infrastructure is key to enabling the growth of the sector and helping mitigate its impacts."
The UK’s airspace network is one of the busiest and most complex in the world, handling a quarter of Europe’s traffic despite having only 11 per cent of its airspace.
Decades of flight from Heathrow
Heathrow’s chief operating officer, Javier Echave, said: "This is an important step to making UK aviation more modern, efficient, and reliable for the millions of people and businesses who rely on available airspace capacity."
However, two residential groups, Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (Hacan) and Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne), raised concerns that the new routes would negatively affect house prices and increase pollution due to the increase in flights.
Last year, easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, said inefficient use of airspace contributes to increases in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and flight times. The carrier described the problem as a “universal issue” across the whole of Europe, but said the “greatest inefficiencies” for its operations are in the UK.
Among the problems cited were aircraft being required to climb in steps after take-off, complex routing, and delayed descents to manage the workload of air traffic control (ATC) staff.
