Proposed amendments to CAP 1096 (Guidance to Crane and Tall Equipment Users: Notification Process, Obstacle Lighting and Marking Requirements) · consultation led by the CAA Air Traffic Management directorate · closes November 18, 2026
Quick Answers
What is proposed? A comprehensive overhaul of CAP 1096 to create a more effective, proportionate and practical framework for safeguarding aerodrome operations and managing obstacle-related risk — including the introduction of Crane and Obstacle Notification Areas (CONAs) with a default 6 km notification zone.
Why now? Growing urban development around UK aerodromes, more and taller temporary equipment, and a need for clearer, more enforceable notification and data processes. The CAA wants to modernize the entire crane/tall-equipment safeguarding regime (last update-era guidance predates digital ACOMS processes).
Who is affected? Crane and tall-equipment users, aerodrome operators (safeguarding/ATS), ANSPs, ATC, construction and developers near UK aerodromes, and the wider GA/military community flying around affected locations.
What should I do? Read the consultation and respond before November 18, 2026 — the design choices (CONA sizes, notification duties, ADQ requirements, lighting standards, aerodrome accountability) are open for input.
Quick Compliance Summary
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regulatory body | UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) — Air Traffic Management directorate |
| Instrument | Consultation on proposed revisions to CAP 1096 |
| Status | Consultation open — closes November 18, 2026 |
| Headline change | Introduction of Crane and Obstacle Notification Areas (CONAs): bespoke aerodrome-defined zones, with a default 6 km notification area where bespoke arrangements are not in place |
| Other key changes | Strengthened direct notification duties; expanded scope to tall equipment (not just cranes); digital ACOMS notification; explicit Aeronautical Data Quality (ADQ) requirements; stronger aerodrome-operator accountability; improved temporary/mobile obstacle controls; lighting/marking realignment; clarified NOTAM/AIP publication roles |
| Audience | Aerodrome operators, ANSPs, ATC staff, GA, military, construction/crane industry |
| Closure date | November 18, 2026 |
Who Should Read This
- Aerodrome safeguarding and operations teams — new CONA responsibilities and accountability
- Construction companies, crane contractors and tall-equipment users near UK aerodromes — notification duties, CONA awareness, lighting obligations
- ANSPs / ATC (including obstacle-management and AIS functions) — ACOMS and ADQ responsibilities
- GA and helicopter operators — awareness of obstacle notification/lighting changes affecting low-level flying
- Developers and planning authorities — safeguarding assessments and permissions
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Instrument | CAP 1096 (Guidance to Crane and Tall Equipment Users on the Notification Process, Obstacle Lighting and Marking Requirements) |
| Controller | CAA Air Traffic Management directorate |
| New concept | Crane and Obstacle Notification Areas (CONAs) — default 6 km; bespoke aerodrome-defined alternatives |
| Digital shift | Airspace Coordination and Obstacle Management Service (ACOMS) and digital notification processes |
| Data quality | Explicit Aeronautical Data Quality (ADQ) requirements for obstacle information |
| Scope expansion | Cranes → all tall equipment impacting aviation safety |
| Closure date | November 18, 2026 |
Why This Exists Now
CAP 1096 has long governed how crane operators notify aerodromes and light/mark obstacles. In practice the regime has struggled with: inconsistent notification (equipment appearing without notice, often near final approach paths), a scope that covers cranes but not the wider universe of tall equipment, paper-based processes, and cleaning gaps in obstacle data accuracy. The proposed revisions respond by creating a two-layer CONA framework (bespoke aerodrome zones or a default 6 km circle), making notification a direct duty of equipment users, pushing notification through ACOMS/digital channels, and requiring aerodromes to own obstacle-data quality under the ADQ framework. The result is meant to be a risk-based, proportionate safeguarding system that protects instrument procedures and traffic patterns around UK aerodromes.
What the Consultation Proposes (per the CAA overview)
- CONAs: Crane and Obstacle Notification Areas, including bespoke aerodrome-defined notification areas and a default 6 km notification area where bespoke arrangements are not in place.
- Stronger notification: clarification and strengthening of notification requirements, including direct notification responsibilities for crane and tall-equipment users and enhanced engagement with affected aerodromes.
- Digital processes: enhanced use of the Airspace Coordination and Obstacle Management Service (ACOMS) and digital notification to improve information sharing, transparency and efficiency.
- Aeronautical Data Quality: explicit ADQ requirements to improve the accuracy, integrity and management of obstacle-related information.
- Scope expansion: CAP 1096 extended to tall equipment in addition to cranes where it may impact aviation safety and aerodrome safeguarding.
- Aerodrome accountability: strengthened aerodrome-operator responsibilities for safeguarding assessments, permissions, publication and obstacle management.
- Temporary/mobile obstacles: improved management of temporary, mobile and short-notice obstacles through operational controls, emergency arrangements and coordination.
- Lighting/marking: revision and alignment of obstacle lighting and marking requirements with current regulatory standards and risk-based safeguarding principles.
- Publication: clarified responsibilities for aeronautical information publication, including NOTAM, AIP and ACOMS for obstacle information management.
Operational Impact Matrix
| Affected function | Action required | Deadline / driver | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodrome safeguarding | Respond on CONA design (bespoke zones), ADQ and accountability proposals | Nov 18, 2026 | CAP 1096 consultation |
| Crane / tall-equipment users & construction | Assess new notification duties and default 6 km CONA; comment on burden | Nov 18, 2026 | CAP 1096 consultation |
| ANSP / ATC / AIS | Comment on ACOMS and NOTAM/AIP/ADQ process proposals | Nov 18, 2026 | CAP 1096 consultation |
| GA / helicopter ops | Track obstacle lighting/marking changes affecting low-level flying | Post-publication | Revised CAP 1096 |
Compliance Checklist
- Consultation read and response filed (owner + deadline calendar entry for Nov 18, 2026)
- Position defined on: CONA default size (6 km), bespoke zones, notification duties, ADQ, lighting standards
- Internal safeguarding process impact assessed (aerodrome operators)
- For crane/tall-equipment users: notification workflow mapped to ACOMS/digital channels
ARW take: the CAP 1096 revision matters beyond the crane community because it converts a fragmented, paper-based notification regime into a structured, data-quality-driven safeguarding system — and the 6 km default CONA will reach far more construction sites than today’s ad-hoc arrangements. For aerodromes, the accountability shift (own the assessment, the permission, the publication and the data quality) is the item to push back on or embrace in your response. Watch for the interplay with the UTM/EC-mandate workstream: obstacle-data quality under ADQ is the same foundational dataset UTM and low-level operations will consume later this decade.
Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Consultation opened | August/September 2026 |
| Consultation closes | November 18, 2026 |
| CAA response / revised CAP 1096 | [CONFIRM: to be announced] |
Source Documents
- UK CAA Consultations hub — Proposed Revisions to CAP1096 Crane and Tall Equipment Safeguarding
- UK CAA — Consultations hub (overview)
FAQ
Does this apply to me if I fly drones? Not directly — it targets physical obstacles (cranes/tall equipment) and aerodrome safeguarding; but obstacle data quality feeds the same airspace safety picture UAS operations depend on.
Is there already a CONA in force? No — CONAs are a proposal in this consultation; nothing changes until the revised CAP 1096 is published.
What is ACOMS? The Airspace Coordination and Obstacle Management Service — the CAA’s digital channel for obstacle notification and information sharing— is the primary route for notification in the proposals.
Related Reading
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- UK CAA Signs Three Bilateral Agreements — New Arrangements with Transport Canada, CASA, and ANAC
- UK CAA Gains Broader Exemption Powers Under Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2026
aviationregwatch.com publishes regulatory intelligence for aviation compliance professionals. This article is an informational summary compiled from the sources listed above, not legal advice. Verify against the consultation document before responding.