General Aviation (GA)(Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties) Regulations 2024 (“the 2024 Regulations”)
Following the introduction of the 2024 regulations which came into force on 6 April 2024, we are writing to all aerodrome managers, owners and operators to remind them of the regulations and key points to maintain compliance.
The ability to process complete accurate and timely passenger, crew and service information is an essential part of the United Kingdom’s (UK) approach to border security. Travel document information, required for passengers and crew, and processed in advance of travel, known as Advance Passenger Information (API), supports pre-departure watch listing to prevent travel to (or from) the UK in accordance with the Authority to Carry Scheme 2023 or to alert a port to an arriving (or departing) subject of interest.
In addition, providing API supports the operation of the UK’s Universal Permission to Travel Scheme which requires all individuals intending to travel to the UK to have a permission to do so. Whether an individual has a valid permission can be confirmed to a GA owner or agent and captain using system to system messaging. Missing, incomplete, inaccurate or late data risks individuals posing threats being able to travel or to travel undetected. GA owners or agents and captains who fail to comply with information requirements may liable to a civil penalty of up to £10,000 under the Passenger, Crew and Service Information (Civil Penalties) Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”). The Passenger, Crew and Service Information (Civil Penalties) Regulations 2015 (legislation.gov.uk)
Introduction of ‘’the 2024 Regulations’’
GA owners or agents and captains are required to provide information about the GA flight and persons on board to the Home Office in accordance with the General Aviation (Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties) Regulations 2024 (“the 2024 Regulations”).
In accordance with the 2024 Regulations, the persons responsible for the flight are required to provide:
- Specified information about the flight and persons on board,
- Specified information to be provided within a specified time,
- Form and manner in which the specified information is to be provided,
- To be able to receive during the relevant period, communications relating to that information from Border Force on behalf of the Secretary of State via telephone or the email address provided.
Responsible Person
Regulation 2(2) of the 2024 regulations requires a ‘responsible person’ to provide the information about the flight and persons on board.
Responsible person is defined in paragraph 27BA (5) of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 and paragraph 32A(7) of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
For the purposes of this paragraph, the following are responsible persons in respect of a ship or aircraft — (a) the owner or agent, and (b) the captain. Any actions related to a breach of the regulations will fall to the registered responsible person for the flight.
Specified Information
For all international flights, the following fields of advance passenger (API) information must be provided,
- full name,
- sex,
- date of birth,
- nationality,
- type of travel document,
- number of travel document,
- expiry date of travel document,
- issuing state of travel document.
For all flights, the information must additionally show whether each person onboard is the captain of the aircraft, a member of crew or a passenger.
- For all flights, the following flight information must also be provided,
- the aircraft registration mark,
- the aircraft type,
- the aircraft’s home aerodrome or usual base expressed as an ICAO location indicator or IATA code or, where neither is available, a co-ordinate,
- expected departure date,
- expected departure time,
- expected arrival date,
- expected arrival time,
- the place from which the flight is departing or departed immediately prior to arrival in the United Kingdom expressed by reference to: (i) an ICAO location indicator (ii) an IATA code, or (iii) a co-ordinate (where neither an ICAO location indicator or IATA code is available),
- the number of persons on board the aircraft; and,
- the name, address, email address and contact telephone number of the responsible person,
The API provided must match the information held in the travel document(s) presented by the passengers and crew members on board. The information provided about the flight must also correspond to the specific flight being made. Any differences will result in action take by Border Force
Specified Time
The information about the flight and persons onboard must be submitted no earlier than 48 hours and no later than 2 hours prior to expected time of departure. If information regarding persons on board or the aircraft itself changes prior to departure then the specified time of submission of data will reset and pilots or operators will be required to abide by the 48-2 hour requirement.
Specified Form and Manner
The responsible person must submit information about the GA flight and persons on board online. The following are the accepted submission methods:
- the Government’s submit a GAR (‘sGAR’) webservice
- via an existing, Home Office certified third-party application or system listed on Providing information about international general aviation flights – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Ability to receive relevant communications
After providing the specified information about the flight and persons on board, the responsible person must be able to receive, during the relevant period communications via the telephone number or email address provided pursuant to paragraph 3(k) of the Schedule to the 2024 Regulations from Border Force on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The relevant period which communications may be sent to the responsible person is from when the information about the flight and persons on board is submitted until the expected time of departure. Circumstances where the responsible person must be able to receive communications from Border Force includes (but are not limited to) refusals of authority to carry an individual to (or from) the UK under the Authority to Carry Scheme 2023.
Relevant links
- For reference, please find attached a frequently asked questions ‘the 2024 regulations’ document.
- For further information regarding the 2024 regulations please use the following link – Home Office Pre-Departure Checks Scheme Guidance for Carriers (v2 5) (Final) (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- For further information regarding General Aviation guidance please use the following link– general aviation guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Submit a GAR (SGAR)
Submit a General Aviation Report (sGAR) service is a free to use UK Government digital service, available to all pilots, operators, fixed base operators and aircraft owners to submit GAR API in accordance with the General Aviation (Persons on Board, Flight Information and Civil Penalties) Regulations 2024 (“the 2024 Regulations”).
GARs can be completed by visiting www.GOV.UK/submit-gar . The SGAR service enables users too,
- Register online for fast and easy GAR submission,
- It’s free to use and designed for the whole GA community, including Operator and FBO operations,
- No faxing or emailing required in line with GA Regulations,
- Only need to submit a GAR once for both Border Force and Police,
- E-Visa message responses in line with Universal Permission to Travel (UPT) requirements included on the platform.
The platform has additional benefits for Carriers, Operators and FBOs including,
- Users will be able to upload supporting documents, to help with travelling through the UK Border e.g. remote clearance forms,
- All GARs can be managed from a single platform that you can create just for your organisation/base with access for all your operational staff,
- The ability to save aircraft and person details for customers, crew, and aircrafts, making submitting future GARs even quicker,
- The ability to submit data by just attaching a completed GAR received,
- Carriers, Operators and FBOs can create draft GARs for future travel and complete when all details are known/confirmed,
- Upon GAR submission, users will receive a ‘submission receipt’.
SGAR information packs have been attached.
Border Force contact details
| Your responsible Border Force Team: | Heathrow Small Ports Team |
| Team Location: | Farnborough Airport |
| Border Force email address: | HeathrowSmallports@homeoffice.gov.uk |
| Border Force office telephone number: | +44 1252 526128 |
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a joint initiative between Border Force, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Police which aims to counter the threats of smuggling, immigration crime and terrorism around the UK’s airfields.
Pegasus is a public-facing campaign and the objective is to generate actionable intelligence leads by encouraging the reporting of suspicious or unusual activity within the GA environment.
Any suspicious activity at airfields should be reported to 0300 123 7000 and information received will be shared across law enforcement agencies and acted upon appropriately.
Further information can be found here and the Pegasus video
Universal Permission to Travel (UPT) scheme within General Aviation –
The UK Government is committed to strengthening the UK’s borders by ensuring that everyone in the UK (except British and Irish citizens) seek permission in advance of travel – this is our Universal Permission to Travel (UPT) requirement. To support our digital vision and the introduction of the UPT scheme, the Home Office is introducing, digital only immigration products, permission before you travel and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Latest information can be found on Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Industry events are run specifically for the GA sector and details of upcoming events can be found on sGAR at www.GOV.UK/submit-gar