Spaceport 1 – Airspace Change Proposal

Since 2021, work has been ongoing to secure a permanent change to the airspace in the vicinity of the proposed Spaceport 1 launch site at Scolpaig, North Uist. The Airspace Change Process (ACP) is governed by the Civil Aviation Authority. More information can be obtained via the Airspace Change portal.

The airspace change associated with Spaceport 1 (ID: ACP-2021-012) is considered necessary to protect other airspace users from any hazards created by rocket launch and to protect Spaceport 1’s ground personnel.

Following the formal consultation phase (Stage 3 of the ACP), the process has moved to Stage 4 where the airspace change Sponsor, QinetiQ, develops the final airspace design submission. The final design and supporting documentation takes into account stakeholder feedback received during consultation. The submission will be presented to the CAA whom will review all elements of the ACP process to date and evaluate the final submission before making a decision on the airspace in April 2025. The submission and any subsequent updates will be uploaded to the CAA Airspace Change portal in late November 2024 and will be available to view.

The Airspace Change Process is independent of Planning as both have distinctly different requirements and are regulated by different organisations. However, there are a number of documents associated with the Planning process that are complimentary to the ACP process these include but are not limited to:

Spaceport 1 Updates