Time travel

Milestone 50 years of aviation assurance

The Civil Aviation Authority is celebrating five decades of keeping passengers safe in the skies.

Formed as part of the Civil Aviation Act 1971, the CAA has been at the forefront of aviation regulation, promoting safety and customer assurance.

One of its first key moments was in

1974, when Clarksons Travel holiday company collapsed with 35,000 travellers abroad. There were insufficient funds to repay those who had paid for their holidays in advance. This led to the creation of a fund to reimburse Clarksons customers, which became the ATOL scheme we know today.

The 1980s brought a wave of aviation advancements including the period when London City Airport became operational. Two years later the CAA certified the Boeing 757, 767, then the Airbus A310.

The mid-80s saw the introduction of crucial cabin safety measures – floor level lighting, toilet smoke detectors, greater space around over-wing exits and fireblocking seat covers.

By 1997, the aviation industry had become a major sector of the UK economy, with 15,000 aircraft on the CAA’s register and UK air traffic controllers handling more than four million flights a year.

In 2014, we witnessed the launch of its dedicated unit helping to further promote the UK’s thriving general aviation sector. In 2017 and 2019, Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook collapsed, with 2019 seeing the CAA launch the largest repatriation in peacetime history.

The Covid pandemic led to another significant disruption to air travel, and the CAA played a key role in supporting the sector during this, as well as a safe restart.

Last year, the authority took on new powers as the UK’s space regulator, helping to develop a safe, innovative and thriving space industry in the UK.

Sir Stephen Hillier, chair of the UK

CAA, said: “I’m proud that the organisation has been able to sustain its position at the forefront of aviation and aerospace regulation for this extraordinary half-century.”

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