Guidelines for safe drone use at LCY
Any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or system (UAS) used within London City Airport aerodrome space – for commercial reasons or privately owned – must be documented and approved by LCY and NATS.
LCY ‘no-drone’ zone
There is a 5km flight restriction zone (FRZ) around London City Airport. This stretches from Canary Wharf in the west to Thamesmead in the east, and from Woolwich in the south to East Ham in the north.
To use an UAV for commercial purposes, you need permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in accordance with Article 94 of the 2016 Air Navigation Order (ANO 2016).
Apply for permission to use a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Drone pilots within the flight restriction zone (FRZ) must apply for NATS Non-Standard Flight (NSF) approval a minimum of 21 days before the flight. Applications submitted less than 7 days in advance may not be processed.
NATS then forward the application to London City Airport and other airspace stakeholders for review.
Submit a Non-Standard Flight application
Please note, you need to file an NSF even if you want to fly outside of LCY operating hours. Pilots are responsible for their UAV and should not take off unless confident they can carry out the planned flight under current or predicted conditions.
Drones and the law
Any drone weighing over 250g needs to be registered.
Register your drone or model aircraft
To stay up to date with the latest UK drone legislation and guidelines, please visit:
CAA – Flying drones safely and responsibly
NATS – Drones & new airspace users
If you have any questions, email our Aerodrome Operations on dronesafety@londoncityairport.com or call 0207 646 2247.