Overview
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is the national regulator and oversees foreign carrier permits, UK Part-TCO approvals, and related operator compliance requirements.
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Europe
Regulator
UK Civil Aviation Authority
Last verified
2026-04-02
Regulator
UK Civil Aviation Authority
Commercial requirements
- Non-UK air carriers need a Foreign Carrier Permit for commercial services to, from, or within the UK.
- UK Part-TCO is required for commercial flights, and EASA TCO approvals do not replace the UK approval pathway.
- The CAA may request operator-level documents such as AOC and registration evidence.
Non-citizen / visitor requirements
- Foreign operators applying for a permit must identify the APIS process they will use to provide passenger and crew information to UK Border Force.
Insurance
Status: Required by law
Retained Regulation 785/2004 requires liability insurance evidence for the covered operation.
Important note
The applicable threshold depends on the service and aircraft, so the current requirement should be confirmed before flight.
Operators should carry evidence of the liability insurance required for the planned operation.
Operating rules
- UK AIP GEN 1.2 and airport-specific publications govern airspace, IFR/VFR, noise, and curfews.
- Security-direction requirements may apply for certain MTOW thresholds.
- Operational timing and permit decisions are sensitive to submission quality, so users should follow the published permit process closely.
Enforcement / compliance risk
The CAA publishes a permit administration fee and aims to decide timely ad-hoc or series applications at least two working days before departure.
Regulator contact details
Foreign Carrier Permits
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 330 138 3484
Hours: Weekdays 09:00-17:00 local
Secondary contacts
- CAA permit guidance: https://www.caa.co.uk/commercial-industry/airlines/licensing/foreign-carrier-permits/about-foreign-carrier-permits/