The Air Navigation Order 2000

Issue of police air operators' certificates

7—(1) A flight by an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom in the service of a chief officer of police for any area of the United Kingdom (in this Order called ‘a police authority’) shall, for the purposes of this Order, be deemed to be a flight for the purpose of public transport and if any passenger is carried the flight shall be deemed to be for the purpose of public transport of passengers, and save as otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of this Order and of any regulations made thereunder shall be complied with in relation to any such flight as if that flight was for the purpose of public transport or public transport of passengers as the case may be.

(2) An aircraft registered in the United Kingdom shall not fly on any flight in the service of a police authority otherwise than under and in accordance with either the terms of an air operator’s certificate granted to the operator of the aircraft under article 6(2) of this Order or the terms of a police air operator’s certificate granted to the operator of the aircraft under paragraph (3), certifying that the holder of the certificate is competent to secure that aircraft operated by him on flights for the purpose of police operations are operated as safely as is appropriate having regard to the particular purposes of the flight.

(3) The CAA shall grant a police air operator’s certificate (in this Order called ‘a police air operator’s certificate’) if it is satisfied that the applicant is competent having regard in particular to his previous conduct and experience, his equipment, organisation, staffing, maintenance and other arrangements, to secure that the operation of aircraft of the types specified in the certificate shall be as safe as is appropriate when flying on flights of the description and for the purposes so specified. The certificate may be granted subject to such conditions as the CAA thinks fit and shall, subject to the provisions of article 81 of this Order, remain in force for the period specified in the certificate.