We're onboarding a limited number of pilots Sign up

Cost sharing flight regulations have changed

Following an extensive consultation in 2021 and 2022, the Air Navigation Order has been updated to add additional restrictions and regulation around cost sharing flights within the UK. From 1st October 2025 these changes are in effect, so it's important that you're prepared.

Skip this, just sign me up

Bought to you by the team behind Volanti®

Background

What's the story with UK Cost Sharing?

The regulations in the UK covering cost sharing have long been a source of confusion and argument amongst recreational aviators - with many believing that cost sharing flights are outright illegal, whilst others manage to run something equivalent of their own private charter company.

The UK's approach to cost sharing has historically been outlined as:

There can be no profit made from the flight; and
Only direct costs can be shared amongst passengers; also
The pilot must make a 'contribution' towards those costs.

It's fair to say that these rules have tended to be on the lenient side and allow individuals to follow them as they're written, but not in spirit.

So, what's happening?

From October 2025, new regulation comes into force around Cost Shared Flights within the UK. These new regulations mandate the minimum share the PIC must pay, the documentation and audit trail required from passengers, as well as mandatory disclosures during any advertising or when permitted passengers to fly with you.

One of the problems encountered when dealing with cost sharing flights is where pilots and passengers of Illegal Commercial Air Transport collude to present illegal flights as legal cost shared flights.

UK CAA CAP 2270 - Consultation Document

The Future

How will this impact you?

And what can you do to safeguard your own cost shared flights?

Pilot and Passenger Declarations

Keeping things compliant

The biggest burden on individual pilots is now likely to be the need to maintain a papertrail of flights and demonstrate the information that was provided to passengers prior to the flight commencing.

The expectation is that these declarations clearly outline that passengers are taking part in a recreational flight, carried out by a pilot who may not hold a commercial license, in an aircraft that may be maintained and operated to much lower standards than that expected from commercial flights.

CAP 1590A provides a sample of the agreement that the CAA would expect to see used for these flights

Document retention

Think of all that paper

With all of this paperwork cluttering up your flight bag, where are you going to store your whiz-wheel, and how far aft is your CoG going to be?

It isn't just a case of having a copy of the declaration for presentation before or during the flight, the CAA have outlined their expectation that pilots must retain this documentation for a minimum of 6 months after the flight commences. Nobody needs all that paperwork ruining their weight and balance calculations.

What about flight sharing platforms?

Whilst individual flight sharing platforms might provide some kind of equivalent service to users of the platform, what if you're a member of multiple platforms? Or, what if you're not a member of any but simply sharing flights with people from your local community of friends and acquaintances.

So, to summarise...

What are the key facts?

Whilst these haven't been ratified into the ANO yet, they are coming.

Direct costs

Only the costs directly associated with the flight (landing fees, hire, fuel, etc) can be shared amongst passengers. Ownership fees are not permitted.

Common Purpose

For A-to-B flights, the PIC and passengers must have a common purpose for travel, other than remuneration or other valuable consideration.

Equal Shares

Gone are the days when pilots could pay £1 - the ANO stipulates that costs must be shared equally, although the PIC can choose to pay more.

Max 6 Occupants

Including the pilot, the maximum number of people onboard an aircraft that is cost sharing is 6. There is no age limit or consideration for animals.

Safety standards identified

It is a requirement for the pilot/operator to make clear to passengers that this is a cost sharing recreational flight and not a public transport flight.

Record keeping

A record must be kept that each passenger confirms they understand the risks, and the provision of the cost sharing flight, for 6 months post flight.

Full details can be found from the CAA in CAP 1590 .
Compliance remains the responsibility of the PIC.

Ready to remove the burden? We're here to help.

Our declaration collection + storage service is free. There really is no catch.

Automated declaration collection: Enter your flight details and the passenger contact information - we handle the rest. Once we've collected signatures from your passengers, we'll issue you with a compliance document. It's as simple as that.
Record Storage: The regulations dictate that records must be kept for 6 months. We guarantee that access, so you don't need to ruin your weight and balance calculations by carrying paper in your flight bag.
It's free. We mean it.: The best bit is we offer this service for free - from managing your account, to collecting the signatures, and serving your compliance document. There really is no excuse to not be compliant.

Want a sneak preview? Take a look at a sample compliance document.

View sample

Backed by business

Free software often makes you the product, or is unreliable.
Not here.

We are avgeeks and pilots. We build software we want to use. We saw a problem here and wanted to provide a solution. This whole product is financed by the success of our club management software - not by you.

So what's the catch? There isn't one. Our hope is that some of you may take a look at the other software we produce, or use some of the paid addons we might introduce in the future.