Airports Act 1986

82 General interpretation. U.K.

(1) In this Act—

• “M1 the 1975 Act” means the Airports Authority Act 1975;

• “the 1982 Act” means the Civil Aviation Act 1982;

• “airport” means the aggregate of the land, buildings and works comprised in an aerodrome within the meaning of the 1982 Act;

• “airport operator” means the person for the time being having the management of an airport, or, in relation to a particular airport, the management of that airport;

• “air transport services” means services for the carriage by air of passengers or cargo;

• “the appointed day” means the day appointed under section 2(1);

• “the BAA” means the British Airports Authority;

• “the CAA” means the Civil Aviation Authority;

• “cargo” includes mail;

• “debenture” includes debenture stock;

• “functions” includes powers and duties;

• “modifications” includes additions, omissions and amendments;

• “operator”, in relation to an aircraft, means the person for the time being having the management of the aircraft;

• “the registrar of companies” has the same meaning as in [F1 the Companies Acts (see section 1060 of the Companies Act 2006)];

• “securities”, in relation to a company, includes shares, debentures, bonds and other securities of the company, whether or not constituting a charge on the assets of the company;

• “shares” includes stock;

• “subordinate legislation” has the same meaning as in the M2 Interpretation Act 1978;

• “subsidiary” has the meaning given by [F2 section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006];

• “the successor company” means the company nominated for the purposes of section 2;

• “user”, in relation to an airport, means—

(a) a person for whom any services or facilities falling within [F3 subsection (1A)] are provided at the airport, or

(b) a person using any of the air transport services operating from the airport.

[F4 (1A) The services and facilities mentioned in the definition of “user” in subsection (1) are services or facilities provided at an airport for the purposes of—

(a) the landing, parking or taking off of aircraft,

(b) the servicing of aircraft (including the supply of fuel), or

(c) the handling of passengers or their baggage or of cargo at all stages while on airport premises.

(1B) The services and facilities mentioned in subsection (1A)(c)—

(a) include services and facilities provided for the purposes of the transfer of passengers, their baggage or cargo to and from aircraft, but

(b) do not include facilities for car parking, for the refreshment of passengers or for the supply of consumer goods or services.]

[F5 (1C) Subject to subsection (1F), a reference in this Act to an aircraft includes a reference to a medium-range rocket.

(1D) In subsection (1C) “rocket” means a projectile of mainly cylindrical or similar shape that can be propelled from or above the earth by combustion of its fuel (or fuel and oxidant).

(1E) For the purposes of subsection (1C) a rocket is a “medium-range” rocket if—

(a) the total impulse of its motor or combination of motors exceeds 160 Newton-seconds, but

(b) it is not capable of operating above the stratosphere.

(1F) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) provide that subsection (1C) does not apply to any specified provisions of this Act;

(b) provide for any provision of this Act, as it has effect by virtue of subsection (1C), to apply with specified modifications.]

(2) A company shall be regarded for the purposes of this Act as wholly owned by the Crown at any time when each of the issued shares in the company is held by, or by a nominee of, the Treasury or the Secretary of State.

(3) Any reference in section 14 F6 ... to the business carried on at any airport by the airport operator shall, in a case where the person for the time being having the management of the airport has not had its management for the whole or any part of any period relevant for the purposes of that section, be construed as including a reference to the business carried on there by any other person who had the management of the airport for the whole or any part of that period.

(4) For the purposes of this Act a body corporate shall be treated as an associated company of an airport operator if either that body or the airport operator is a body corporate of which the other is a subsidiary or if both of them are subsidiaries of one and the same body corporate.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 82(1) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 68(5)(a) (with art. 10)

F2 Words in s. 82(1) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 68(5)(b) (with art. 10)

F3 Words in s. 82(1) substituted (1.4.2014) by Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19), s. 110(1), Sch. 9 para. 4(2) (with Sch. 10 paras. 12, 17); S.I. 2013/589, art. 5(1)(b)

F4 S. 82(1A)(1B) inserted (1.4.2014) by Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19), s. 110(1), Sch. 9 para. 4(3) (with Sch. 10 paras. 12, 17); S.I. 2013/589, art. 5(1)(b)

F5 S. 82(1C)-(1F) inserted (29.7.2021) by Space Industry Act 2018 (c. 5), s. 70(1), Sch. 12 para. 7; S.I. 2021/817, reg. 2, Sch. para. 117 (with reg. 3)

F6 Words in s. 82(3) omitted (1.4.2014) by virtue of Civil Aviation Act 2012 (c. 19), s. 110(1), Sch. 9 para. 4(4) (with Sch. 10 paras. 12, 17); S.I. 2013/589, art. 5(1)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1985 c. 6.

M2 1978 c. 30.