Egis selected to support UK CAA roadmap for Higher Airspace Operations

Egis has been appointed through the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Modernisation Strategy Support Fund to help define the future integration of Higher Airspace Operations (HAO) in UK airspace and the North Atlantic Area of Responsibility.

The UK High Altitude Operations Analysis & Roadmap will examine how emerging activities operating at altitudes above those of conventional aviation can be introduced safely and efficiently. These include High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), space launch and re-entry activity, suborbital operations, and faster-than-sound operations. The project runs from September 2026 to July 2027, and brings together operational, technological and policy perspectives to establish an evidence base for future UK regulation and policy. It will deliver:
A baseline assessment of HAO in UK airspace and the North Atlantic Area of Responsibility, establishing the scope, definitions, operational assumptions and evidence requirements for the subsequent work

• An analysis of UK technology enablers, requirements and gaps, including a capability map, options, appraisals, and indicative timelines
• A UK policy and research roadmap for HAO
• Together, these will help the CAA identify priorities and align policy and regulatory development with expected market and technology milestones.

The project builds on Egis’ existing work with the CAA in economic regulation and airspace modernisation. It also draws on Egis’ support to the ASCENT project for EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency, which adds another layer of HAO insights to the UK context. The work will consider developments and roadmaps from ICAO, EUROCONTROL and the FAA, alongside engagement with the UK’s HAO Delivery Group.

We are pleased to be working with the CAA on how the UK prepares for Higher Airspace Operations. This is a complex area, so it’s important that what we develop is based on a clear understanding of broader regulatory contexts, future operational needs, and how to balance them with those of existing airspace users. Our role is to bring together the operational, technological and policy evidence that will help the CAA develop a coordinated and practical way forward for the UK and North Atlantic area. Matt Greenaway Principal Consultant at Egis