The FAAM Airborne Laboratory provides cutting edge measurements in the atmosphere almost anywhere in the world.

Closure announcement

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.

UKRI have been the custodians of UK airborne science and monitoring since 2014, but the closure marks the end of over 100 years of UK leadership in this field.

We will work closely with UKRI, NERC, our host institutions, delivery partners, facility users, and staff to decommission the research aircraft and manage the transition responsibly. Our immediate priority is supporting affected staff and the wider UK atmospheric science community.

Further updates will be provided as the closure process moves forward. For enquiries please contact UKRI.

Using the FAAM platform and data 

We primarily serve scientists working in UK universities who are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the UK Met Office. However, we can also provide our unique airborne platform in support of other UK government bodies and for commercial organisations in some circumstances. 

Any data collected by our core instruments will be supplied using a standard format and archived at the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis.

How to apply

There are six different pathways to using the FAAM Airborne Laboratory. 

The best pathway for you will depend on your career stage, whether you have used our service before, your source of funding, your research interest and the number of flying hours you require. More details on each pathway are covered in our User Guide.

• • Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Research Grants provide access to the FAAM Airborne Laboratory via funding obtained through successful grants, as outlined in the NERC research grants and fellowships handbook.
  • Research Runway allows early career researchers and new users to take advantage of the FAAM Airborne Laboratory, and provide flying hours for small-scale, stand-alone projects
  • NERC National Capability provides access to FAAM Airborne Laboratory through long-term science programmes funded through NERC’s National Capability commissioning.
  • Operational Partnerships can offer a way to access FAAM Airborne Laboratory flight hours and support services for researchers from organisations aligned to NERC.
  • Commercial Users can collaborate with the FAAM Airborne Laboratory to install instrumentation and conduct flights
  • FAAM Testing Hours provide opportunities for researchers to make use of FAAM Airborne Laboratory test flying hours, and these tend to be appropriate for science projects that require one or two flights.

If you are thinking about a science campaign with FAAM Airborne Laboratory, it’s best to contact us as early as possible in your planning process. We can provide support and guidance to help you understand the costs involved, and tailor our services to your needs.

Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.