UK CAA TCO AUTHORISATION · Aero Support Group FZCO · Updated 22 October 2026
What is a UK TCO authorisation?
The UK Third Country Operators Regulation is Commission Regulation (EU) No 452/2014 as it applies in UK law, amended by the Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/645). Since 1 January 2021 the UK CAA, not EASA, has been the authority for third country operators flying to the UK. Since 1 January 2023 every commercial air transport operator from outside the UK has needed a full UK Part-TCO authorisation.
The Regulation applies to third country operators engaged in commercial air transport into, within or out of the United Kingdom (TCO.100). A third country operator is any operator whose AOC was issued by a State other than the UK. EU and EEA airlines are therefore third country operators for UK purposes, in the same way that UK airlines are third country operators for EASA.
The authorisation is a safety recognition document. It does not grant traffic rights.
UK TCO and the Foreign Carrier Permit
Two separate permissions are needed before a non-UK airline can operate commercial flights to the UK:
- UK Part-TCO authorisation, the safety approval issued by the CAA under UK Regulation (EU) No 452/2014.
- Foreign Carrier Permit, the economic permission for scheduled or charter services. The CAA has issued these since 6 April 2014, when it took the function over from the Department for Transport. The CAA will not issue a permit unless the operator holds a valid UK TCO.
Planning both together avoids the common situation where a TCO is granted but the first rotation still cannot operate because the permit has not been applied for, or traffic rights are not available.
How the application works
There is no online portal for UK TCO. Applicants request the form by email from TCO@caa.co.uk and return the signed form with payment authorisation. The relevant forms are CPG3204 for carriers from outside the UK, EU, EEA and Switzerland, and CPG3203 for EU, EEA and Swiss carriers.
Under TCO.300 the application must be made at least 30 days before the intended start of operations. It is supported by the AOC and operations specifications, insurance certificates (including leased aircraft), the operator’s ramp inspection history and, for first-time applicants, a certificate of incorporation.
The CAA assesses the application under Annex 2 (Part-ART), ART.200. It checks compliance with Part-TCO and the applicable ICAO Annex standards, looks at safety data such as ramp inspection reports, accidents and enforcement measures, and takes into account the oversight capability of the State of the operator. It may accept mitigating measures that give an equivalent level of safety, ask for more information, carry out a site visit or audit, or refuse the application.
Fees under the CAA Scheme of Charges
The CAA’s Scheme of Charges for air operator licensing (ORS5 No 453, in force from 1 April 2026) sets the current fees:
- UK TCO application: £115.
- Site visit or audit, where the CAA decides one is needed: an additional £5,222.
- Work beyond the standard allowance: £260 per hour, capped at £67,589 a year and invoiced in arrears.
- Foreign registered aircraft operating permit: £115, with a surcharge where the CAA has less than 12 hours to process it.
Fees are reviewed each April, so applicants should check the scheme in force on the date they apply.
After authorisation: monitoring, changes and enforcement
- Validity: the authorisation is issued for an unlimited duration (ART.210) and remains valid while the operator complies and the authorisation is not surrendered, suspended or revoked (TCO.320).
- Monitoring: the CAA keeps a monitoring programme and reviews each operator at intervals of no more than 24 months, which may be extended to 48 months (ART.215 and ART.220). Ramp inspection results feed into this.
- Changes: any change that affects the terms of the authorisation, such as new aircraft types, dangerous goods or a change of AOC, needs prior CAA approval under TCO.315.
- Findings and enforcement: the CAA raises level 1 and level 2 findings (ART.230) and may suspend an authorisation for up to six months, extendable by a further three, or revoke it (ART.235).
The UK Air Safety List, made under the UK version of Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005, operates alongside Part-TCO. An operator subject to an operating ban cannot hold a valid authorisation.
Where UK TCO applications run into difficulty
The same problems appear in the applications we review:
- The operator treats the UK application as a copy of its EASA file. The CAA assesses independently and asks its own questions.
- The aircraft and operations specifications in the application do not match the AOC or the fleet actually planned for UK routes.
- Insurance certificates do not cover leased aircraft or do not meet the minimum cover.
- Open ramp inspection findings have not been closed with evidence before the application is made.
- The Foreign Carrier Permit is left until after the TCO is granted, so the start date slips.
- Changes after authorisation, such as a new type or wet-leased aircraft, are introduced without prior approval under TCO.315.
How ASG supports UK TCO applicants and holders
- Readiness assessment against UK Part-TCO and the ICAO Annex standards the CAA applies, with a corrective action plan where gaps are found.
- Preparation of the application package (CPG3204 or CPG3203) and the supporting evidence, aligned with the operator’s AOC and planned UK operations.
- Coordination of the TCO application with the Foreign Carrier Permit so both are in place for the first flight.
- Responses to CAA questions and preparation for any site visit or audit.
- Ramp inspection finding analysis and closure, which matters for both the initial assessment and continued monitoring.
- Ongoing compliance through UK CAA TCO RADAR: change management under TCO.315, monitoring of the UK Air Safety List and CAA notices, and readiness for periodic reviews.
For airlines that also fly to the EU, ASG runs the UK and EASA applications as one programme with shared evidence.
Conclusion
A UK TCO authorisation rests on a complete application, made at least 30 days before the first flight, and on an operator whose ICAO compliance and safety record stand up to the CAA’s own review. Because the CAA no longer relies on EASA’s assessment, the UK file has to be prepared on its own terms. ASG helps operators get the authorisation and keep it.
Frequently asked questions
A UK Part-TCO authorisation is the safety approval the UK CAA issues under UK Regulation (EU) No 452/2014 to airlines holding an AOC from outside the UK. It is required before commercial air transport into, within or out of the UK.
Any operator holding an AOC issued outside the United Kingdom that conducts commercial air transport into, within or out of the UK. This includes EU and EEA airlines.
No. The UK CAA states that it no longer recognises EASA TCO authorisations. Operators flying to both the EU and the UK need two separate authorisations.
At least 30 days before the intended start of operations (TCO.300). Applying earlier leaves time for CAA questions and for the Foreign Carrier Permit.
No. The TCO is a safety authorisation. The Foreign Carrier Permit is the economic permission to operate the services. Both are issued by the CAA, and a permit will not be issued without a valid TCO.
Under the CAA Scheme of Charges in force from 1 April 2026, the application fee is £115. A site visit or audit, if the CAA decides one is needed, costs an additional £5,222, and further work is charged at £260 per hour.
It is issued for an unlimited duration. The CAA monitors each operator and reviews it at least every 24 months, and may suspend or revoke the authorisation if findings are not resolved.
Key takeaways
- Non-UK airlines need a UK Part-TCO authorisation for commercial flights into, within or out of the UK
- The legal basis is UK Regulation (EU) No 452/2014; the CAA does not recognise EASA TCOs
- Apply at least 30 days before the first flight; applications go by email to the CAA
- The Foreign Carrier Permit is a separate permission and requires a valid TCO
- The CAA reviews operators at least every 24 months and approves changes in advance
Planning UK operations?
Tell us your fleet, AOC and planned UK routes. ASG will assess readiness against UK Part-TCO and plan the TCO and permit applications together.