The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), sponsored by the Department for Transport, is running a second-stage consultation on the regulatory framework for new types of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, with responses due by July 31, 2026. Opened on May 28, 2026, the consultation sets out the detailed rules the CAA proposes for certifying, maintaining, crewing and operating the aircraft that will underpin UK advanced air mobility (AAM), from eVTOL air taxis to cargo platforms. It is documented across five CAP3267 parts (A to E), each addressing one pillar of the regime.
For manufacturers such as Vertical Aerospace and non-UK makers selling into Britain, including Joby, Volocopter and Airbus, and for the air-taxi operators preparing to fly them, this is the last formal window to shape the binding rules before the CAA finalises the framework, expected in Q4 2026. The stakes are concrete: the classification chosen for these aircraft determines which airworthiness, licensing and operations code applies, and therefore the certification cost and the route to revenue.
What does the CAP3267 consultation actually propose?
The consultation builds on an earlier policy-framework consultation and the CAA's response to it, and it now drills into four regulatory pillars. Part B defines a new Complex Motor-Powered Aircraft (CMPA) classification for powered-lift VTOL types that do not fit the existing aeroplane, helicopter or gyroplane categories, setting the certification basis under UK Part-21. Part C adapts the UK continuing-airworthiness regime (assimilated Regulation 1321/2014, CAP 2022A) to powered-lift types, covering maintenance, Part-CAMO oversight and mandatory Airworthiness Directives. Part D sets out pilot licensing requirements under a UK Part-FCL analogue, including new ratings and medical standards for powered-lift pilots. Part E addresses flight operations, mapping commercial air-taxi operations into the UK Air Operations framework (CAP 2025A) and defining operating rules for low-altitude, vertiport-based services.
Who must respond, and by when?
The consultation closes on July 31, 2026. The CAA explicitly targets a broad audience: eVTOL manufacturers, air-taxi operators, aerodrome and vertiport operators, airworthiness maintenance organisations, design and certification organisations, pilot training bodies, and air navigation service providers. Non-UK manufacturers intending to certificate in Britain should treat this as the moment to flag divergence from EASA or FAA baselines, since UK rules are assimilated from EU law but amended domestically and no longer track Brussels automatically.
Responses go through the CAA consultations portal. The CAA has signalled that the resulting framework is expected to land in Q4 2026, which leaves a narrow window between consultation close and finalisation for affected parties to prepare certification and operating strategies.
How does the proposed framework fit the existing UK aviation code?
The proposed rules do not rewrite UK aviation law from scratch. They extend the post-Brexit assimilated EU aviation acquis, maintained as UK law and amended by Statutory Instruments, into the powered-lift category. The table below maps each CAP3267 part to the existing UK regime it builds on.
| CAP3267 part | Subject | Existing UK regime extended |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | Overview | Framework scope and interfaces |
| Part B | Complex Motor-Powered Aircraft | UK Part-21 (CAP 2021A, assimilated Reg 748/2012) |
| Part C | Continuing airworthiness | UK Part-M/145/66/147 (CAP 2022A, Reg 1321/2014) |
| Part D | Personnel licensing | UK Part-FCL (Reg 1178/2011) |
| Part E | Flight operations | UK Air Operations (CAP 2025A, Reg 965/2012) |
What should exposed organisations do now?
With six days left before the July 31, 2026 deadline, the priority is a structured response rather than a wait-and-see posture. Manufacturers should review the CMPA classification in Part A against their type-certification roadmap and flag any basis that would force redesign. Operators should examine Part E for the operating privileges and limitations that will define viable route economics. Continuing-airworthiness organisations and approved training organisations should assess Part C and Part D for the new approvals and syllabi they will need to hold.
Continuous, per-jurisdiction real-time monitoring surfaces this kind of consultation the moment it opens, rather than when the final rule lands.
Take advantage of this real-time watch
Next steps: confirm applicability against your certification and operating baseline; identify the CAP3267 parts where your position differs from the CAA proposal and submit evidence-based responses by July 31, 2026; brief your certification, flight-ops and legal teams on the Q4 2026 finalisation timeline; and track the CAA's response document, which will signal how the framework moves from consultation to binding UK rule. Obsidian monitors every step of that pathway.
