UK air-navigation service publishes 8 May NOTAM bulletin highlighting surge in drone and crane activity

The UK’s Air Navigation Service Provider, NATS, released its daily Pre-Flight Information Bulletin at 06:00 UTC on 8 May covering aerodromes between latitude 51°N and 52°N—a swathe that includes London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton. The 24-hour bulletin lists more than 600 active Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), but three themes stand out for corporate aviation planners: 1. A sharp rise in unmanned-aircraft-system (UAS) activity, including a 25-drone ‘swarm’ operating near Long Ashton, Somerset, at 132 ft AGL. 2. Multiple high-mast crane operations around key business-travel airports such as Bristol and Cardiff, some topping 290 ft AMSL. 3. Revised local-aerodrome ground-movement instructions at Bristol and a frequency change for Bristol Radar to 125.655 MHz. Why does this matter to multinational employers? Private charter remains a critical mobility tool now that the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) regime applies to all visa-exempt visitors.



For teams still getting to grips with the ETA roll-out and other entry requirements, VisaHQ can shoulder the paperwork. The platform’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets mobility managers arrange ETAs, visitor visas and crew letters in minutes, complete with real-time status tracking and consolidated reporting—freeing flight departments to focus on operational challenges such as NOTAM reviews.

However, drone incursions and temporary obstacles can lead to short-notice slot restrictions or mandatory avoidance procedures that add costs and jeopardise tight rotation timetables. Travel-risk consultancies recommend that flight departments file flight plans early, review NOTAMs again within three hours of departure and consider alternate airfields if operating below FL100. Operators should also brief crews on the latest CAA guidance, which classifies drone-related airspace infringements as a “high severity” occurrence. NATS notes that the bulletin is valid until 09 May 06:00 UTC. Mobility managers scheduling critical movements—such as project engineers arriving for Monday-morning client kick-offs—should reconfirm slots on Saturday once the new bulletin is issued.