Following the withdrawal of funding by UKRI-NERC, announced on Thursday 26 February 2026, the FAAM Airborne Laboratory will cease operations at the end of this financial year. There is now significant work required in the coming weeks to understand what this means for the instruments, infrastructure, and knowledge held by the facility.
We are aware that this decision causes a lot of uncertainty among organisations contracted to deliver or support MLU-funded upgrades. At this stage we need to work closely with UKRI-NERC, our host institutions, delivery partners, facility users, and staff to navigate the closure process.
We continue to look at how we can support existing projects and future airborne atmospheric research.
Should you have questions or comments regarding the facility’s closure, please do share them with us or comms@ncas.ac.uk and we will provide as much information and clarity as we are able to. We also want to thank our partners wholeheartedly for the support and the work they have contributed to the Mid-Life Upgrade programme.