Airfield Categories
​The starting point was to use the factors that Lord Byron Davies set out in 2018 report that accompanied a Green Paper, Aviation 2050: The Future of UK Aviation, but then to include other features that can contribute to ‘importance’.
Lord Byron Davies focussed on the airfield infrastructure – runway characteristics, navaids, hangarage, engineering support for example.
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The SAN survey includes all of his factors and also takes account of, for example, the role of an airfield in its community for sport, recreation and events and geographic factors – for example in a relatively remote area, an Aerodrome may have an important role in connectivity or provide support for the emergency services.
Category A Airfields
Airfields containing elements of GA and elements of a commercial airport.​
Predominantly licensed and generally have higher aircraft movement levels, ATC services and ground support - satisfying the aeronautical criteria highlighted by Byron Davies. They have a large range of aviation activities – flight training, VFR/IFR approaches, related airspace and ATC services, runway lighting, range of fuel available, aircraft maintenance, fire cover and are Border Force designated. Many provide valued services to the emergency services. All have environmental measures in place and a vast amount of non-aviation activity on the airfield.
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Category B Airfields
Larger regionally significant airfields​
Predominantly unlicensed and VFR only. The aeronautical services and levels of activity are less than category A but with the aviation activities comparable to category A. Non-aviation activity and community engagement activity is also strong in this group.
Category C airfields
Smaller regionally significant airfields​
​All are unlicensed and VFR only. Runways are mainly grass. The number of aviation activities are reduced in comparison with Category A. Non-Aviation activity is predominantly agriculture, with environmental measures.
Category D airfields
Airfields declared strategically important by the owner​
All are unlicensed and VFR only. Runways are mainly grass. The number of aviation activities is greatly reduced, these airfields are of vital importance to the owner and the based aircraft. Non-aviation activity is predominantly agriculture, with environmental measures