UK Drone No Fly Zones 2026: Airports, Prisons and How to Check

Airport and airfield Flight Restriction Zones

Most airports, airfields, heliports and spaceports have an FRZ. An aerodrome’s zone is made of:

the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ): a cylinder of 2 or 2.5 nautical miles radius around the longest runway, up to 2,000ft above ground
Runway Protection Zones: 1km wide, running 5km out from the end of each runway, up to 2,000ft
extra areas, so the zone reaches at least 1km beyond the aerodrome boundary, also up to 2,000ft

An aerodrome with no ATZ gets a 2 nautical mile circle instead. Heliport zones have no runway zones, and a spaceport’s zone is a 5km radius around the launch pad, up to 2,000ft.

To fly inside one, ask the site’s air traffic control, or the aerodrome operator if you can’t reach it; contact details are in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).

Smaller unlicensed airfields may have no FRZ and may not be listed, but you still must not fly near them where you could endanger aircraft.

Other places you can’t fly without permission

Permanent prohibited, restricted and danger areas, often around prisons, military bases and ranges, royal palaces and government buildings
Temporary restrictions for events such as airshows and festivals, for security such as political conferences, or at short notice for emergencies
Emergency incidents such as crashes, fires and floods: stop flying straight away unless the emergency services allow you to continue
Local byelaws, which may limit where you can fly from and are unlikely to be shown in apps
Some Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), where flying could disturb wildlife

For restricted airspace away from aerodromes, the CAA takes permission requests through its Airspace Co-ordination and Obstacle Management Service.

How do you check UK drone no fly zones?

NATS, which provides air traffic control services in the UK, publishes a map of drone restriction zones, though some short-notice restrictions aren’t on it.
Restrictions for drones, including FRZs, are published in section ENR 5.1 of the AIP.
Notices to Aviation (NOTAMs) cover temporary hazards; NATS offers pre-flight bulletins and lists them on its drone website.
Drone apps and the drone’s own geo-awareness can help, but the CAA warns some aren’t up to date and you’re responsible for the information you use.
Look for signs on site, and for light aircraft or equipment that suggest an airfield nearby.

NATS: Drone restriction zones map ↗NATS: Drone website and NOTAMs ↗

Penalties near airports

The Code warns that endangering the safety of an aircraft can mean five years in prison. Under the Air Navigation Order 2016, an operator must not let a drone fly in a protected aerodrome’s FRZ without the permission required, and the remote pilot must not fly it there.

Without authorisation, the CAA says it’s illegal to fly: