Changes To Airspace At Newcastle, Bristol & Cardiff

Significant changes to the airspace arrangements at Newcastle were introduced on 6th July 2006.
These changes increased the area of controlled airspace around the airport, designed to improve the safety of commercial flights arriving or departing.
Major changes at Cardiff/Bristol will come into effect on 31st August 2006..
The region surrounding Cardiff and Bristol will be enclosed in a new Class D area of controlled airspace enabling flights to approach and leave the airports under the jurisdiction of air traffic controllers.
This change will take place on 31st August 2006.
Prior to this, many flights arriving or departing the two airports had to fly through Class G airspace, meaning that they were not under the control of ATC.
Other traffic, unknown to ATC, were a constant problem for the controllers as the legal conditions relating to Class G airspace meant that the pilots did not even have to speak to ATC.
Even hot air balloons, launched from a site close to Bristol airport, were frequently encountered by flights approaching runway 27.
The new arrangements will include a series of Standard Instrument Departure Routes (SID’s) and Standard Arrival Routes (STAR’s), similar to those already in use at most large UK airports.

Thanks to Graham Duke for submitting this information.