Are BVLOS flights permitted in the Open category under UK CAA rules?

No. The Open category requires the remote pilot to maintain direct, unaided visual line of sight with the aircraft at all times. BVLOS operations — where the aircraft moves beyond that visual threshold — fall entirely outside the Open category and must be conducted under a Specific category Operational Authorisation issued by the CAA.

What CAA authorisation does a BVLOS operator need before they can be insured?

Most commercial BVLOS operations require a bespoke Operational Authorisation (OA) from the CAA, supported by a Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) that produces a SAIL level. Some limited BVLOS use cases may fall under a published Pre-Defined Risk Assessment (PDRA). Standard Scenarios (STS-01 and STS-02) do not provide a BVLOS route. Specialist underwriters will ask to see the OA — or a draft OA at minimum — before offering terms.

What does the SAIL level mean for insurance placement?

The SAIL level (Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, running from I to VI) is the CAA's summary of the residual risk of a BVLOS operation after mitigations are applied. Underwriters use it as a proxy for operational complexity and exposure severity. A higher SAIL level generally indicates a more demanding operational environment, which influences the scope of coverage required, the limits an underwriter will offer, and the documentation they need to assess the risk.

Does a standard commercial drone policy cover BVLOS operations?

Almost never without specific endorsement. Standard commercial drone policies are written for VLOS operations and typically contain exclusions — explicit or implied through operational scope definitions — that would prevent a BVLOS claim from being paid. Brokers must place BVLOS risks with a specialist market using manuscript wording that reflects the approved operational envelope set out in the client's OA.

What triggers the need to notify the insurer mid-term on a BVLOS programme?

Material changes to the OA conditions, aircraft configuration, operational geography, crew composition, or command-and-control architecture are all notification triggers. If the CAA amends the client's OA — adding new corridors, changing SAIL level, or imposing new operational conditions — the insurer must be informed promptly. Failure to notify can give the insurer grounds to decline a claim or void the policy from the date of the undisclosed change.

Can a broker approach the BVLOS insurance market before the client's OA is finalised?

Yes, and it is advisable. Engaging a specialist underwriter at the SORA or draft OA stage allows the broker to identify coverage requirements early, advise the client on liability limits that are likely to satisfy CAA expectations, and avoid delays between OA grant and policy inception. Underwriters can provide indicative terms on a draft OA, with final terms confirmed once the authorisation is issued.

Are BVLOS Flights Permitted in the Open Category?

Written by the BVLOS Insure editorial team · reviewed by Anton Kuznetsov, founder

If a client asks whether BVLOS flights are permitted in the Open category, the short answer is no — and the regulatory boundary matters directly to how you structure their hull and liability programme. The UK Civil Aviation Authority's drone framework, aligned with the retained EU UAS Regulation (UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947 as retained in domestic law), divides unmanned aircraft operations into three categories: Open, Specific, and Certified. BVLOS — Beyond Visual Line of Sight — is explicitly excluded from the Open category regardless of aircraft weight or operational complexity. Understanding exactly where that line sits, and what authorisation pathway replaces it, is the starting point for placing any BVLOS insurance programme correctly.

What the Open Category Actually Permits

The Open category is designed for lower-risk operations that require no prior authorisation from the CAA. It is subdivided into subcategories A1, A2, and A3, each carrying different rules on aircraft class, proximity to people, and operational area. What all three subcategories share is a hard requirement for the remote pilot to maintain direct, unaided visual line of sight with the aircraft at all times.

The visual line of sight (VLOS) requirement is not a guideline — it is a definitional boundary. Once a flight profile moves the aircraft beyond the point where the remote pilot can see it with the naked eye and assess its attitude, altitude, and trajectory, the operation has left the Open category entirely. No amount of competency, equipment, or risk mitigation changes that; the category itself simply does not accommodate BVLOS.

Operators who attempt to conduct BVLOS operations under an Open category assumption expose themselves to uninsured liability, potential CAA enforcement, and — critically for brokers — a policy that may not respond at the point of claim. Confirming the operational category before binding coverage is not a formality; it is the foundation of a valid programme.

Why BVLOS Requires the Specific Category

BVLOS operations in the UK must be conducted under the Specific category, which requires either a CAA Operational Authorisation (OA) or, where the operation fits a published scenario, a Standard Scenario (STS) or a Pre-Defined Risk Assessment (PDRA). In practice, most commercial BVLOS work — infrastructure inspection corridors, beyond-horizon survey, logistics trials — requires a bespoke OA supported by a Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA), the methodology the CAA uses to evaluate residual risk.

The SORA process assigns a Ground Risk Class (GRC) and an Air Risk Class (ARC), which together determine the required Tactical Mitigation Performance Requirement (TMPR) and the overall SAIL level (Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, I through VI). The SAIL level in turn drives the Operational Safety Objectives the operator must demonstrate — and it is those same objectives that an underwriter will scrutinise when assessing whether a BVLOS risk is insurable at standard terms.

For brokers, the practical implication is that a client presenting for BVLOS coverage without a valid OA reference number is not yet an insurable risk for most specialist markets. The authorisation document is not just a regulatory artefact — it is the underwriting anchor that defines the approved flight geography, altitude envelope, detect-and-avoid provisions, and crew requirements against which a policy is written.

Operational Authorisation (OA) — bespoke CAA approval for operations outside standard scenarios
Standard Scenario (STS-01, STS-02) — pre-approved frameworks for defined VLOS and some extended-VLOS operations; not a BVLOS route
Pre-Defined Risk Assessment (PDRA) — CAA-published risk assessments for specific operation types; BVLOS PDRAs exist for limited use cases
SORA — the risk methodology underpinning most OA applications, producing a SAIL level that shapes both regulatory and insurance requirements

How the Regulatory Boundary Shapes Insurance Placement

Hull and liability programmes for BVLOS operations are structured differently from standard VLOS commercial work. Premiums scale with hull value, the SAIL level of the authorisation, the degree of autonomy in the flight profile, and the nature of the overflown environment — congested versus sparsely populated, controlled airspace versus uncontrolled. Deductibles typically rise on autonomous or highly automated operations where pilot intervention is limited or delayed.

Third-party liability limits for BVLOS work are quoted in GBP and must reflect the realistic exposure of an operation that, by definition, places an aircraft beyond direct pilot observation. Where the OA permits operations over or near populated areas, underwriters will expect higher limits and may impose sub-limits for specific loss scenarios. Brokers should present the OA, the SORA output, the aircraft technical specification, and the operator's safety management system documentation as a minimum submission package.

Hull coverage for BVLOS platforms often involves higher-value aircraft equipped with redundant systems, detect-and-avoid technology, and command-and-control link infrastructure. Agreed value versus market value elections, coverage for ground control station equipment, and data link hardware are all negotiable points that a specialist BVLOS market will consider — a standard commercial drone policy almost certainly will not.

Operator Competency and Crew Requirements

The Open category requires a remote pilot to hold, at most, a General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC) for A2 subcategory operations. BVLOS operations under a Specific category OA impose competency requirements that the CAA specifies within the authorisation itself — these typically exceed the GVC and may require additional training, simulation hours, or type-specific qualifications depending on the aircraft and operation.

Underwriters writing BVLOS programmes will ask for evidence of crew competency as part of the submission. A client whose OA specifies a minimum crew qualification that their pilots do not yet hold is an underwriting concern, not just a regulatory one. Brokers should verify that the named pilots on the programme meet the OA's stated crew requirements before presenting the risk.

Where operations involve multiple remote pilots, observer networks, or handover protocols — common in long-corridor BVLOS work — the policy wording needs to address crew substitution, handover liability, and the scope of coverage during transitional phases of flight. These are not standard clauses in off-the-shelf drone policies and require manuscript endorsement from a specialist market.

Placing BVLOS Risks: Broker Workflow

Start the placement process before the client's OA application is finalised if possible. Engaging a specialist BVLOS underwriter at the SORA stage allows the broker to identify coverage gaps, advise on limits that will satisfy the CAA's third-party liability expectations within the OA, and avoid the common problem of a client receiving their authorisation and then discovering that the insurance market needs several weeks to assess the risk.

The minimum submission package for a BVLOS programme should include: the current or draft OA (including SAIL level and any operational conditions), the aircraft manufacturer's technical specification and maintenance schedule, the operator's Operations Manual, evidence of remote pilot competency, and a description of the command-and-control architecture. If the operation involves third-party data links or network-based beyond-radio-line-of-sight connectivity, that infrastructure should be documented separately.

Renewal of a BVLOS programme is not a passive process. OA conditions can change, aircraft configurations are upgraded, and operational corridors expand. Brokers should treat each renewal as a fresh submission review rather than a rollover, and should confirm with the operator that their OA remains current and that no material changes have occurred since the last underwriting review.

Current or draft CAA Operational Authorisation including SAIL level
Aircraft technical specification and maintenance records
Operator's Operations Manual and Safety Management System documentation
Remote pilot competency certificates and training records
Command-and-control link architecture, including any network or satellite datalink details
Details of any sub-contractors or third-party crew involved in the operation

Frequently asked questions

Are BVLOS flights permitted in the Open category under UK CAA rules?: No. The Open category requires the remote pilot to maintain direct, unaided visual line of sight with the aircraft at all times. BVLOS operations — where the aircraft moves beyond that visual threshold — fall entirely outside the Open category and must be conducted under a Specific category Operational Authorisation issued by the CAA.
What CAA authorisation does a BVLOS operator need before they can be insured?: Most commercial BVLOS operations require a bespoke Operational Authorisation (OA) from the CAA, supported by a Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) that produces a SAIL level. Some limited BVLOS use cases may fall under a published Pre-Defined Risk Assessment (PDRA). Standard Scenarios (STS-01 and STS-02) do not provide a BVLOS route. Specialist underwriters will ask to see the OA — or a draft OA at minimum — before offering terms.
What does the SAIL level mean for insurance placement?: The SAIL level (Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, running from I to VI) is the CAA's summary of the residual risk of a BVLOS operation after mitigations are applied. Underwriters use it as a proxy for operational complexity and exposure severity. A higher SAIL level generally indicates a more demanding operational environment, which influences the scope of coverage required, the limits an underwriter will offer, and the documentation they need to assess the risk.
Does a standard commercial drone policy cover BVLOS operations?: Almost never without specific endorsement. Standard commercial drone policies are written for VLOS operations and typically contain exclusions — explicit or implied through operational scope definitions — that would prevent a BVLOS claim from being paid. Brokers must place BVLOS risks with a specialist market using manuscript wording that reflects the approved operational envelope set out in the client's OA.
What triggers the need to notify the insurer mid-term on a BVLOS programme?: Material changes to the OA conditions, aircraft configuration, operational geography, crew composition, or command-and-control architecture are all notification triggers. If the CAA amends the client's OA — adding new corridors, changing SAIL level, or imposing new operational conditions — the insurer must be informed promptly. Failure to notify can give the insurer grounds to decline a claim or void the policy from the date of the undisclosed change.
Can a broker approach the BVLOS insurance market before the client's OA is finalised?: Yes, and it is advisable. Engaging a specialist underwriter at the SORA or draft OA stage allows the broker to identify coverage requirements early, advise the client on liability limits that are likely to satisfy CAA expectations, and avoid delays between OA grant and policy inception. Underwriters can provide indicative terms on a draft OA, with final terms confirmed once the authorisation is issued.

Submit a BVLOS risk to BVLOS Insure. Send your client's OA reference, SAIL level, and aircraft specification to our specialist underwriting team for a same-week indicative terms review.