Legislation – Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021
Changes to legislation:
Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021,
PART 3
is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 20 December 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Part 3:
- Sch. 8 para. 2(3)(b)(ia) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 2(2)(c)
- Sch. 8 para. 2(6)(aa) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 2(4)(b)
- Sch. 8 para. 5(ba)(bb) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 3(b)
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- Sch. 8 para. 2(3)(b)(ia) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 2(2)(c)
- Sch. 8 para. 2(6)(aa) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 2(4)(b)
- Sch. 8 para. 5(ba)(bb) inserted by S.I. 2025/1284 Sch. 3 para. 3(b)
PART 3Unmanned aircraft
13Powers of police officers and prison authorities
Schedule 8 makes provision about powers of police officers and prison authorities relating to unmanned aircraft.
14Powers of police officers relating to ANO 2016
Schedule 9 makes provision about powers of police officers relating to requirements in the ANO 2016.
15Fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft
Schedule 10 makes provision about fixed penalties for certain offences relating to unmanned aircraft.
16Amendment and enforcement regulations
Schedule 11 confers powers to make amendment and enforcement regulations.
17Disclosures of information
(1)
Except as provided by subsection (2), a disclosure of information under a provision of this Part does not breach—
(a)
any obligation of confidence owed by the person making the disclosure, or
(b)
any other restriction on the disclosure of information (however imposed).
(2)
Nothing in this Part authorises a disclosure of information which—
(a)
would contravene the data protection legislation (but in determining whether a disclosure would do so, the duties imposed by this Part are to be taken into account), or
(b)
is prohibited by any of Parts 1 to 7 or Chapter 1 of Part 9 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.
(3)
Nothing in this Part limits the circumstances in which information may be disclosed apart from under this Part.
(4)
In this section “the data protection legislation” has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3 of that Act).
(5)
Until the repeal of Part 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by paragraph 54 of Schedule 10 to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 is fully in force, subsection (2)(b) has effect as if it included a reference to that Part.
18Part 3: interpretation
In this Part—
“ANO 2016” means the Air Navigation Order 2016;
“subordinate legislation” means any instrument made or to be made—
(a)
under an Act of Parliament, or
(b)
on or after IP completion day under any F1assimilated direct legislation;
“unmanned aircraft” means any aircraft operating or designed to operate autonomously or to be piloted remotely without a pilot on board.