Guidance

Issuing aviation permits to foreign carriers in UK Overseas Territories

Published 3 March 2025

If a foreign carrier wants to operate commercially in a UK Overseas Territory (OT), they need to apply to the OT for a permit.

This guidance explains the process for a UK OT issuing aviation permits to foreign carriers.

Operating commercially in a territory means flights that are:

• to, from or within the territory
• carrying cargo or passengers for hire or reward – that is, the carrier is being paid

Aircraft registered in the UK or in a UK OT do not need a permit.

Overview of the permit process

1. A carrier contacts the OT for permission to fly into its territory.

2. The OT sends the carrier the foreign carrier permit (FCP) application form.

3. The carrier sends back the completed form and supporting documents.

4. The OT checks the application and documents meet the requirements.

5. If the application is successful, the OT issues the carrier with a foreign carrier permit.

Applying for a permit

Foreign carriers that wish to fly to, from or within your territory must apply to you using a foreign carrier permit application form.

You can give permission for foreign carriers to fly to or from your territory if:

• the necessary traffic rights are available – these will be in the air services agreement
• the foreign airline meets the relevant safety requirements
• reciprocal rights are available to OT carriers

Permit application

You should give a central email address for applications to be returned to.

The application form you send to carriers must request a minimum of this information:

• applicant details, including name and nationality of carrier, contact name, address, telephone, email
• aircraft type(s) and registration number(s)
• details of flights, including dates or days, flight number, routes, timings (UTC and local), whether it is scheduled or charter

It must include signed declarations about:

• dangerous goods
• complying with article 105 of the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order regarding aerodrome-operating minima
• FM immunity requirements
• ground proximity warning and airborne collision avoidance system

Single engine aircraft

The application form should ask:

• if the application is for a single engine aircraft
• whether the aircraft requires authorisation from the applicant’s national authorities, if it is

If authorisation is required, this must be included in the documentary evidence.

Example permit application form

You can download an example permit application form from the GOV.UK home page for this guidance.

You may use this if you want. It contains the questions and declarations that are the minimum that must be on the application form. You can add further questions as you require.

The permit application you send must state that the permit is required to be carried on all aircraft.

The carrier should note on their application form if they are applying for a seasonal permit or a short term permit.

Types of permit

Seasonal permits for scheduled flights.

A seasonal permit should be issued for one International Air Transport Association (IATA) season:

• winter season: the last Sunday in October to the last Saturday in March
• summer season: the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in October

Carriers must reapply for each season.

Short term permits for non-scheduled or charter flights

These permits are for one-off flights, or several flights in a shorter time period.

You can choose whether you would like to issue a short term permit or seasonal permits for these flights.

Supporting documents

All carriers must send you these documents with their application form:

• air operator’s certificate and operations specification, showing authorised operations, areas of en route operation, or other certificate of competency issued by the aeronautical authority of the state of the carrier
• certificates of airworthiness issued by the aeronautical authority of the state of registry for all aircraft to be used on services to UK Overseas Territories
• certificates of registration issued by the aeronautical authority of the state of registry for all aircraft to be used on services to UK Overseas Territories
• certificate of liability insurance for passenger and third-party risks for aircraft to be used
• noise certificate – all aircraft operating scheduled, charter passenger or cargo services must be compliant with ICAO Annex 16 – Environmental Protection – Volume I – Aircraft Noise
• if dangerous goods are going to be carried, approval from the state of the carrier

Security information

As part of their application, the carrier must submit their security programme or supplementary station procedures if the:

• FCP is for multiple movements - more than a single arrival and departure
• maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of the aircraft is above 10,000kg

These will be forwarded to the Overseas Territories aviation security regulator, Air Safety Support International (ASSI-enquiries@airsafety.aero) for review and formal acceptance.

Failure to include these procedures in the initial application will prevent the FCP from being issued. Whilst awaiting formal acceptance of the procedures by ASSI, the initial issue of the FCP will not be delayed, however non-compliance with those procedures will affect the continued validity of the FCP.

If ASSI does not accept the procedures, they will talk to the carrier directly. Acceptances are held on the ASSI system and do not need to be carried on the aircraft.

If the carrier does not comply with these their permit will be invalid.

Leased aircraft

Leased aircraft generally fall into one of two categories, dry-leased or wet-leased.

Dry-leased aircraft

The carrier leases just an aircraft from another company or carrier – and this aircraft may operate under the lessee carrier’s FCP issued in line with this guidance.

Wet-leased aircraft

The carrier leases an aircraft with accompanying crew – and usually insurance and maintenance provision – from another carrier. This leased aircraft, with crew, must operate under an FCP issued to its original carrier (the lessor).

If the aircraft are wet or dry leased, they must give:

• contact details (name, address, telephone, email) of the lessor carrier
• a copy of the lease agreement
• confirmation from the lessor carrier of which airline operations and flight manuals will be used (so that it is known for legal purposes which carrier will be the operator of the aircraft)

The airline shall not operate the permitted services using aircraft leased from another airline unless specifically authorised by the Governor of the territory.

Expiry dates

Insurance documents should be valid for the duration of the seasonal permit. If an insurance document is due to expire midway through a seasonal permit, the carrier must provide an updated insurance document before the final day listed on the original document. If they do not, their permit becomes invalid and they should not be conducting commercial flights.

Processing an application for a permit

For scheduled services, you can grant a foreign carrier an operating permit if the proposed service meets the rights (and associated conditions) provided in the UK air service agreement with the state the carrier is registered with and/or operates from.

Safety checklist

When you receive a permit application, you must review it to ensure carriers meet the necessary safety requirements.

UK Air Safety List.

The UK Air Safety List is a record of states and their carriers that do not fulfil the necessary international safety standards. You must not issue a permit to carriers included on this list.

Note that all carriers from some states do not fulfil the necessary standards.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety audit standards

Check the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety audit standards to see if the state whose regulatory authority issued the carrier operating certificate has a significant safety concern according to ICAO standards for safety. If there are significant safety concerns, you must not issue a permit to the carrier.

Air services agreements

The UK has, or is party to, around 150 ASAs. For the most part, these cover scheduled air services to or from both the UK itself and the UK’s Overseas Territories.

Alongside checking the validity of documents in an application, it is also crucial that the traffic rights required for the operation are available.

Scheduled services

Where the ASA in question limits the number of scheduled services that can operate, you must seek further advice from the DfT Air Services team as soon as possible to confirm the service is within the limit.

Where a service would exceed the limit, the Governor, in consultation with DfT, may assess the economic benefits and decide to grant an operating permit. 

Ad-hoc or charter operations

Authorities can decide whether a permit should be granted. While most ASAs do not include charter operations, ASAs:

• can be used as a guiding document to support an authority’s’ decision
• should serve as the baseline for what rights are available

Issuing the permit

You issue the permit to the carrier via email and log it into your systems.

If you are directly regulated by ASSI, you should copy them in on the email you send to issue the permit: enquiries@airsafety.aero.

The permit you issue must say:

• that the permit must be carried on all aircraft flying to the Overseas Territory
• that pilots must comply with ICAO age requirements
• the airworthiness and safety information remain valid for the duration of the permit

Example of a permit

You can download an example of a permit from the GOV.UK home page for this guidance.

It gives the text that your permit must contain. You can use this example and add more information to your permit if needed.

Authority to issue a permit

You or your organisation must have the authority to issue permits.

The Governor of the Overseas Territory designates a body or authority (not an individual person) to issue permits on their behalf.

If you do not have, or cannot find, your letter of designated authority, you must contact your Governor. If the letter gives authority to a named person, you should request a new one for your body or authority.

State aircraft

State aircraft, such as military, customs and police services, do not need a permit. They do need to have authorisation from the Governor. Speak to your Governor about these flights.

Contact details

For questions regarding ASAs, traffic rights and general application questions contact the UK Department for Transport’s Air Service Team - ASATeamAMSG-AVIA-EUI@dft.gov.uk.

For questions relating to the flight safety aspects of the application contact Air Safety Support International or email enquiries@airsafety.aero.