UK extends halon 1211 on defence aircraft to 2040
The UK government has approved a narrow exception to the halon phase‑out so certain aircraft can keep using halon 1211 portable fire extinguishers a little longer. The Ozone‑Depleting Substances (Grant of Halon Derogations) Regulations 2025 were made on 4 December 2025, laid before Parliament on 8 December, and come into force on 30 December 2025. They extend the “end date” for handheld extinguishers protecting cabins and crew compartments on named Defence aircraft to either 30 June 2027 or, for another defined group, 31 December 2040. For a small set of Loganair aircraft, the end date moves to 31 December 2026. Scotland and Wales consented, and the rules apply across Great Britain.
Why this matters: halon 1211 combines strong fire knock‑down, low residue, and electrical safety, which is why aviation adopted it. That performance comes with a cost for the ozone layer. Halon 1211’s ozone‑depleting potential has long been estimated at around three, and new production ended in many countries decades ago; in the United States, production and import stopped on 1 January 1994, leaving only recycled stock for critical uses. In Europe, the current rule is that handheld extinguishers on aircraft should be halon‑free by 31 December 2025.
Think of a derogation as a tightly defined permission to keep using something that is otherwise being phased out. In UK law, ministers can grant one under Article 13(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on ozone‑depleting substances-now part of the UK statute book as “assimilated law” after the Retained EU Law Act 2023. The legal test is clear: officials must be satisfied there is no technically and economically feasible alternative for the specific use. In plain English, if a proven halon‑free extinguisher that meets performance, certification and cost requirements is not yet available for a particular aircraft, time can be added-case by case.
What changes for you as a traveller? Very little. The aircraft covered are specific Defence platforms and a defined subset of Loganair’s fleet identified in the schedules to the regulations. Cabin crews will keep the same safety drills and equipment locations. The difference is that some units may continue to use halon 1211 for a time while approved halon‑free replacements are sourced and installed.
Why not switch today? Aviation fire protection has strict performance standards that equipment must meet during certification. For handheld extinguishers, regulators refer to minimum performance standards and guidance recognised by EASA and the FAA. Halon‑free handhelds using agents such as 2‑BTP and water‑mist are available and improving, but each airframe and cabin layout needs a certified solution for the specific fire scenarios. The EU end date for handhelds is 31 December 2025; the UK’s move recognises pockets where certification or parts availability still lag behind safety needs.
Timelines help you see the shape of the change. For the listed Loganair aircraft, halon 1211 handhelds must be out by 31 December 2026. For named Defence aircraft, one group has until 30 June 2027, and another has a long‑stop of 31 December 2040. The longer window for certain military types reflects the extra complexity of redesigning and certifying equipment on ageing or bespoke platforms, where changing one component can trigger wider airworthiness work.
The bigger picture sits with the Montreal Protocol, the global agreement that has driven the phase‑out of ozone‑depleting substances since 1989. The EU’s updated Ozone Regulation adopted in 2024 reinforced the phase‑out while still allowing limited, controlled uses in special applications such as certain military equipment and aircraft. Scientists expect the ozone layer to recover towards 1980 levels around the 2040s if countries keep to the plan-one reason these UK exceptions are narrow and time‑bound.
Legally, these rules are an update to “assimilated law”, the name given from 1 January 2024 to the body of EU‑derived rules that remained in UK legislation after Brexit. Understanding that term matters for students and teachers because it explains how the UK can amend rules that began life in Brussels while choosing when to align. It also shows how devolved consent works in practice: Scotland and Wales agreed to these changes so they apply across Great Britain.
If you teach science, engineering or citizenship, this is a ready‑made case study. Ask students to weigh the trade‑off: faster environmental gains from removing halon everywhere versus the safety risk if alternatives are not yet certified for a particular aircraft. Encourage them to track the vocabulary-end date versus cut‑off date, recycled stocks versus new production, “critical use” versus routine use-and to spot where evidence, not slogans, guides the final call.
What should we watch next? Operators will keep replacing handhelds with halon‑free units and follow EASA guidance on acceptable agents and certification routes. As retrofit kits scale up, you should see fewer halon units in cabins. For the Defence fleet, the longer window should be paired with regular reviews so the dates move forward if proven alternatives arrive sooner. The destination is unchanged; this decision simply buys time to get there safely.