CAA launches consultation on charges for 2026/27

Above: CAA Gatwick offices.
Copyright CAA

The proposals are designed to support modern and relevant regulation while providing value for money to the aerospace sector it regulates.

Charges fund essential services such as safety oversight, consumer protection and licensing. For 2026/27, the proposed increase is lower than in previous years, reflecting a balance between delivering on the priorities for the sector and the costs of those services.

Updated charges will help:

• Ongoing investment in improving customer service experiences, with over £15 million committed over the past three years to streamline administrative processes and enhancing digital systems—making it easier and faster for users to interact with the regulator.  This £15 million investment has been funded through cost efficiencies delivered by the CAA.
• Support for legislative reform and sector innovation, modernising the UK aviation safety framework.
• Expand the Civil Aviation Authority’s consumer protection programme, including enforcement and dispute resolution.
• Enhance safety oversight and customer engagement through a new cross-functional regulatory team.

Tracey Martin, Chief Financial & Operating Officer the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Effective regulation helps enable the safe growth of the aerospace sector.  Alongside the need to invest in our services and capabilities, we also recognise the financial pressures facing the aerospace sector. 

“These proposals for our 2026/27 charges reflect what we’ve heard from stakeholders and show how we’re maintaining delivery of our core regulatory services and delivering value through efficiency and innovation.

“We’re encouraging feedback from all sectors we regulate, and we look forward to working with industry to shape the future of our services.”

The regulator is continuing to manage its own costs as it prepares for the next financial year by:

• Making smarter spending decisions by reviewing operating models and ensuring external contracts deliver good value.
• Managing financial pressures and funding gaps by adjusting priorities and focusing on what matters most to stakeholders.
• Investing in upgrades and improvements that make services more effective, efficient, and valuable to customers through an annual efficiency saving of £5 million.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s cost base remains controlled and small in proportion to the sector industry it regulates, equating to less than £0.50 per UK passenger and around 0.1% of UK industry turnover.

The consultation is open until 22nd December 2025. 

Full details, including how to respond, are available at consultations.caa.co.uk