CAA proposes 6.1% fee rise as regulatory responsibilities expand

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a consultation on its proposed charges for 2027/28, setting out how it plans to fund essential regulatory activities, meet new statutory responsibilities and continue investing in safety, consumer protection and customer service improvements.

The proposals will enable the regulator to: 

• Prepare for new responsibilities expected to arise from the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, including enhanced consumer protection and new safety rulemaking powers.
• Strengthen consumer protection through enhanced oversight of ATOL licence holders and new civil sanctions capabilities to support proportionate and effective enforcement. 
• Increase airworthiness, safety assurance and cargo oversight capacity to improve service levels. 
• Support future international safety requirements for ground handling services.

Tracey Martin, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: ”Our mission to protect people and enable aerospace means ensuring the UK aviation sector continues to benefit from effective and efficient regulation.

“We are committed to delivering value for money across the sectors we regulate by improving services, strengthening regulatory capability and making our operations more efficient.

“These proposals will enable us to continue investing in safety, consumer protection and customer service improvements while meeting new statutory responsibilities.”

What regulatory activities will the proposed charges be aimed at funding?

For most charges the proposals represent an increase of 6.1%, reflecting inflation, new statutory responsibilities and continued investment in regulatory capability. Proposed changes vary by scheme and charge type, and details of all proposed charges are set out in the consultation. 

The Civil Aviation Authority continues to focus on efficiency and value for money by reviewing operations, prioritising resources and investing in improvements that make services more effective.

As a result, the regulator’s cost base remains modest relative to the size of the sector it regulates, equivalent to less than 54p per UK air passenger and around 0.1% of UK aviation industry turnover.

Targeted increases are proposed to cover additional regulatory activity, including for ATOL holders, cargo operators and airworthiness organisations. New charges are proposed for ground handling oversight and future heliport and vertiport regulation, with costs recovered from the sectors that require these regulatory services. 

Streamlining operations to make navigation of the charging framework easier

Reinvesting efficiencies helps improve customer service and operational performance. The regulator’s Funding Structure Reform programme has already delivered significant improvements, halving the number of charging documents, reducing the total volume of charging documentation by around two-thirds and removing around a quarter of individual charges, making the charging framework simpler and easier for stakeholders to navigate.

The proposed charges for 2027/28 will support continued improvements to licensing services and digital capabilities, helping deliver a more efficient and responsive service for customers.

The Civil Aviation Authority welcomes feedback from stakeholders before finalising its Scheme of Charges for 2027/28. 

The online consultation will remain open until 21 December 2026. 

Full details, including how to respond, are available on: https://consultations.caa.co.uk/finance/caa-statutory-charges-consultation-27-28