To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will review the practice of routinely authorising requests from allies and partners to access UK air bases following the interim ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel).
Answered on
12 February 2024
All flights by foreign military-registered aircraft, and civil aircraft operating under government status, are required to apply to the Ministry of Defence for Diplomatic Flight Clearance whenever they wish to enter UK airspace or use a UK air base. The Diplomatic Flight Clearance policy is a longstanding and robust practice. The basis on which a foreign partner may, or may not, be granted permission to utilise UK air bases is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.