Aviation regulator restricts flying over London ahead of Queen’s funeral
The UK aviation regulator has set curtailed the country’s airspace ahead of the Queen’s funeral and mourning period.
The CAA announced today it had restricted flying over central London between 9 and 19 September as well as between Balmoral Castle and Holyroodhouse from Saturday until today.
The restrictions are also applicable to drones.
Under the limitations, aircraft will not be allowed to fly below 2,500ft, with the exception of certain planes departing from or approaching London City Airport and London Heathrow.
An additional restriction for central London and Windsor will be published in due course.
Industry trade bodies the Airport Operators Association (AOA) and Airlines UK declined to comment while Virgin Atlantic told CityAM it was making preparations to ensure “our customers can continue their journeys as close to their original plans as possible.”
Heathrow said some flights operating between 1.50pm and 3.40pm tomorrow could be disrupted and again on Monday.
“We apologise for the disruption these changes cause, as we work to limit the impact on the upcoming events,” a spokesperson said.
The announcement comes as hundreds of businesses – including the likes of Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Primark – announce they will close for the Queen’s funeral.
However, holidaymakers took to Twitter to express their discontent after Center Parcs announced today it would shut all resorts on Monday.
The decision was taken “to allow as many of our colleagues as possible to be part of this historic moment” as it promised refunds or rescheduling for any guests affected, CityAM reported.