Private jet access ends at Leuchars Aerodrome after radar services withdrawn

Private jets can no longer land at Leuchars Aerodrome in Fife, Scotland, following the withdrawal of its primary and secondary radar systems. This ends civilian access to an airfield frequently used by visitors travelling to nearby St Andrews.

The change took effect on 1 July 2026 and was formally announced by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in an earlier Skywise notification. 

“From 1 July 2026, Leuchars Aerodrome will no longer operate Primary or Secondary radar. The provision of a Lower Airspace Radar Service will cease from this date,” the CAA stated.

The withdrawal does not mean Leuchars itself has closed. The Royal Air Force says it remains a fully operational military airfield, and its control tower continues to provide services.

Leuchars radar and LARS permanently withdrawn

The radar change was also formally recorded by NATS through UK AIP Supplement 065/2026, published on 25 June, which took effect from 1 July.

A subsequent permanent NATS notice removed Leuchars from the list of air traffic service units participating in the Lower Airspace Radar Service.

NATS also changed its VFR charts to reflect the new arrangements. The former Leuchars radar frequency, 126.505 MHz, was replaced by the tower frequency, 119.230 MHz. References to “LEUCHARS LARS” were removed.

Primary surveillance radar detects aircraft by transmitting radio signals and receiving reflected signals from an aircraft. Secondary surveillance radar works with aircraft transponders and can provide controllers with additional information, including aircraft identity and altitude.

LARS, meanwhile, provides radar-based air traffic services to aircraft operating outside controlled airspace.

The withdrawal marks the end of Leuchars’ radar and LARS provision, but not the closure of air traffic control at the aerodrome.

Is Leuchars Aerodrome still operating?

According to a statement provided to The Courier, the RAF described the radar shutdown as a planned change.

“As part of a long-planned change, the airfield radar at Leuchars Aerodrome is no longer operational,” an RAF spokesperson said. “Military air traffic control across Scotland remains unaffected. Consultation took place with all airspace stakeholders ahead of this change, and the small number of private air traffic can continue to use alternative locations.”

The RAF’s official Leuchars Aerodrome page confirms that the airfield remains a “fully operational airfield 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year.”

Its workforce consists of around 50 RAF regular personnel, reservists and civil servants, including Air Traffic Control, a Visiting Aircraft Handling Section and Ground Radio Maintenance Section.

Why did private jets use Leuchars Aerodrome?

While civilian flying accounted for only a small proportion of Leuchars’ operations, private aircraft have been using the airfield for years. Its location made it particularly convenient for passengers travelling to St Andrews, around five miles away and internationally known as the home of golf.

Official Ministry of Defence figures show that the private aviation traffic was also generating revenue.

In October 2025, Dundee Central MP Chris Law asked the government how many private aircraft had landed at Leuchars since 30 October 2023. Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed in a written Parliamentary answer that 100 private aircraft had landed at Leuchars Station during that period. A separate answer from Pollard revealed that those operations had generated approximately £204,420 in revenue for the Ministry of Defence.

What is Leuchars Aerodrome used for today?

Leuchars has undergone a significant change in role over the past decade.

The last RAF air defence squadrons left in 2014, and in 2015 the station was transferred to the British Army and renamed Leuchars Station. The RAF retained an aviation presence, initially known as Leuchars Diversion Airfield. The RAF unit was renamed Leuchars Aerodrome in 2024.

While Leuchars continues to support military aviation, private aviation passengers heading to St Andrews and the surrounding area must find another arrival point. Dundee Airport is the closest established civilian airport. Edinburgh provides a larger alternative farther south.