Transport & Logistics UK-wide

Air transport: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your air transport business (SIC division 51) meets its obligations before you begin commercial operations. Work through the universal workplace and employment items every operator shares, then the aviation and spaceflight licensing items. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Guide summary

Work through the checklist before you start trading. Confirm you have written risk assessments, controlled sector hazards, and carried out a fire risk assessment. Hold employers' liability insurance (£5 million minimum), meet equality and data protection duties, and secure the correct CAA operating licence, air operator’s certificate, and ATOL if you sell packages.

  • Write risk assessments for aircraft handling, height, fuel, noise, manual handling
  • Control sector hazards: apron segregation, fall prevention, COSHH, noise
  • Carry out a fire risk assessment under your nation’s fire-safety regime
  • Hold employers’ liability insurance of at least £5 million
  • Comply with Equality Act 2010 (or NI equivalent) and UK GDPR
  • Get a CAA operating licence if you operate as a UK air carrier
  • Hold a valid air operator’s certificate (AOC) for approved aircraft and routes
  • Ensure each aircraft has a certificate of airworthiness and crew hold valid licences
  • Get an ATOL if you sell flight-inclusive packages or flight-only deals to consumers
  • Put passenger-rights procedures in place if you carry passengers
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Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Use this checklist to confirm your air transport business meets its obligations before you begin commercial operations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. If you answer no, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. Aviation and spaceflight licensing is UK-wide, regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority. Equality law is governed by the Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain, with separate legislation enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Data protection applies UK-wide.

Section 1 — Every air transport operator (workplace and people)

These workplace and employment duties apply to every operator, whatever you carry. Confirm each one before you begin operations.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people. Risk-assess aircraft handling and ground movements, working at height, fuel handling, noise exposure and manual handling of baggage and cargo. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe air transport operation".

  2. 2

    Have you controlled your sector-specific hazards?

    Put apron segregation and marshalling procedures in place, fit fall-prevention for height work on and around aircraft, assess fuel handling under COSHH, and assess noise exposure under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

  3. 3

    Have you carried out your fire risk assessment?

    Assess fire risk from aviation fuel, hydraulic fluids and cargo under the fire-safety regime for your nation — the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 in Scotland, or the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in Northern Ireland.

  4. 4

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone; do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the ECNI); and comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Aviation and spaceflight licensing

These sector-specific obligations apply to the operations you conduct. Not every item will apply to every operator — answer those relevant to your activities.

  1. 1

    Do you hold the correct CAA operating licence?

    If you operate as a UK air carrier — passenger or freight — you must hold a CAA operating licence with adequate financial standing, a UK principal place of business and mandatory aviation insurance. If not, follow "Get your aviation and spaceflight licences and certificates".

  2. 2

    Do you hold a valid air operator's certificate (AOC)?

    On top of the operating licence, you must hold an AOC setting out your approved aircraft types, routes and operating procedures, subject to continuing CAA oversight.

  3. 3

    Are your aircraft airworthy and your crew licensed?

    Each aircraft must hold a valid certificate of airworthiness and be maintained under an approved regime. Flight crew must hold current CAA pilot licences, ratings and medical certificates.

  4. 4

    Do you hold an ATOL if you sell packages?

    If you sell or arrange flight-inclusive package holidays or flight-only deals to consumers, you generally need an ATOL from the CAA. A pure scheduled airline selling its own seats is generally exempt.

  5. 5

    Are your passenger-rights procedures in place?

    If you carry passengers, you must compensate and assist passengers for denied boarding, cancellation and long delay, and provide care, under UK261 (retained Regulation (EC) No 261/2004), enforced by the CAA.

  6. 6

    Do you meet the dangerous-goods-by-air requirements?

    If you carry dangerous goods, staff must hold current IATA DGR training (renewed every 24 months), packaging must be UN-certified, and a Shipper's Declaration of Dangerous Goods is required.

  7. 7

    If you conduct spaceflight, do you hold the required licences and liability insurance?

    Spaceflight operators need a CAA operator licence under the Space Industry Act 2018 with a safety case and mandatory third-party liability insurance. Spaceport and range-control operators need a separate CAA licence. The AOC regime does not apply to spaceflight.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item before you begin operations. The two task guides — the safe-operation spine and aviation and spaceflight licences and certificates — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety, aviation and spaceflight guidance.