What It Means for Operators—and How to Navigate the Change

After years of divergence, a long-awaited development has arrived in the UK drone regulatory landscape: the introduction of the UK SORA. As of April 23rd, 2025, operators can now apply for Operational Authorisation under the UK SORA framework via the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This shift brings the UK more in line with European risk-based regulation—and makes things significantly easier for organisations operating across borders.

But what exactly is UK SORA? How does it differ from its European counterpart? And what should operators—particularly those with cross-border ambitions—expect?

Let’s unpack what’s changed, what’s improved, and what still requires attention.

From CAP 722A to UK SORA: A Structural Leap Forward

When the UK left the European Union on January 1st, 2021, it retained much of the EU’s aviation regulatory framework, including Regulation 2019/947. However, instead of adopting the JARUS SORA approach—as the EU did—the UK CAA relied on CAP 722A, a qualitative risk-based methodology for obtaining operational authorisation in the Specific Category.

While CAP 722A worked for domestic operators, it created friction for organisations accustomed to the more quantitative, structured JARUS SORA used across the EU. Applying for separate approvals in the UK often meant reworking an entire safety case from scratch.

That’s now changed.

The UK has officially implemented a UK-specific version of SORA, based on JARUS SORA v2.5, but tailored to the UK airspace and regulatory environment. It marks a significant improvement in structure, clarity, and harmonisation.

What Is UK SORA?

At its core, the UK SORA is a risk assessment methodology for drone operations in the Specific Category, designed to align regulatory oversight with actual operational risks. Just like the JARUS version, UK SORA guides operators through a structured process to determine:

• The Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL)

• Appropriate Operational Safety Objectives (OSOs)

• The need for strategic or tactical mitigations

• Requirements for containment, flight planning, and system reliability

But there are important differences to be aware of.

Key Differences from JARUS SORA

While UK SORA shares the same DNA as JARUS SORA 2.5, it introduces several UK-specific adaptations:

1. A UK Air Risk Model

The UK has built its own air risk classification system that better reflects the structure and usage of UK airspace. Notably, operations in uncontrolled airspace are now assigned ARC-c by default, increasing the SAIL and robustness level of tactical mitigations for operations in uncontrolled airspace.

2. Updated Annexes and Requirements

The requirements listed in Annex B - Strategic Mitigations for Ground Risk and Annex E - Integrity and assurance levels for the Operational Safety Objectives have been clarified making them less open for interpretation.

3. Terminology

Some key terminology has been changed, for example:

• In the semantic model “Flight Geography” is now referred to as “Flight Volume”

• The qualitative descriptors for population density were changed, e.g. the reference for “Sparsely” and “Lightly” populated areas are swapped

4. OSO assurance criteria

The assurance criteria of the OSOs were adapted to account for the UK CAA’s specific role as competent authority.

New Concepts Introduced by the UK CAA

Recognised Assessment Entities – Flightworthiness (RAE(F))

The UK has introduced RAE(F) organisations that can evaluate the flightworthiness of UAS platforms. Manufacturers and operators can apply for a SAIL Mark Certificate, showing that their system meets predefined design assurance criteria.

This enables the UAS designer to directly support the operator in demonstrating compliance with the requirements for a certain SAIL.

Remote Pilot Certification Tiers

UK SORA introduces five levels of Remote Pilot Certificates:

• GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate)

• RPC-L1 to RPC-L4

This framework provides clearer progression and differentiation of pilot responsibilities and competence levels based on the complexity of operations.

A Two-Step Application Process

Operators applying under UK SORA will follow a two-phase process:

1. Assessment Phase 1: Determine SAIL and containment strategy

2. Assessment Phase 2: Demonstrate compliance and provide evidence for applicable OSOs

Systematic compliance checks will be conducted by the CAA for selected OSOs, based on the assessed risk level and operation type. The bar for evidence is higher, especially for higher SAIL levels—operators will need to move beyond simple self-declarations and always provide verifiable documentation, test results, or third-party validation.

Cross-Border Operations: Still a Separate Process

Despite the regulatory alignment, the UK continues to require separate operational authorisations for non-UK operators. Article 13 of EU Regulation 2019/947, which enables cross-border operations within the EU, remains repealed in the UK version.

This means that EU-based operators will still need to apply separately for a UK Operational Authorisation—even if their SORA is accepted in their home country.

How AirHub Supports UK SORA Compliance

At AirHub, we’ve helped dozens of organisations navigate SORA across Europe, and we’re ready to support UK SORA applications too. Whether you’re:

• A manufacturer seeking a SAIL Mark through RAE(F)

• An operator preparing your ConOps, SORA assessment, and safety portfolio

• A government agency building internal governance and compliance structures

We can help. Our consultancy team offers end-to-end SORA support—from ConOps development to OSO evidence preparation.

Meanwhile, the AirHub Drone Operations Platform helps digitise and embed compliance into your day-to-day operations:

• Create and manage digital checklists, SOPs, and mission logs

• Track pilot certifications (GVC, RPC-Lx) and training requirements

• Plan and visualise Flight Volumes, GRBs, and airspace integration

• Maintain a digital audit trail for inspections or revalidation
  
  

Conclusion: A Welcome Step Toward Harmonisation

The launch of UK SORA is a major improvement for professional drone operators. It replaces the ambiguity of CAP 722A with a structured, risk-based framework and brings the UK much closer to European standards.

It won’t eliminate all the challenges—particularly around cross-border operations—but it creates a clearer, more consistent path forward for organisations that take safety and compliance seriously.

If you're preparing to operate in the UK or need help adapting your current SORA documentation for UK requirements, get in touch. Our team is ready to guide you through the transition.