Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag. The upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field. The remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

A View of the Town and Island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to the British East India Company, engraving, c. 1790

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Last updated on October 31, 2025

Government

According to Britannica, as outlined in the constitution of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (2009), the executive authority of the territory is vested in the British monarch, represented by a governor appointed by the monarch. St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension share the same governor, attorney general, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal but have separate legislatures. The governor presides over and is advised by the Executive Council, which comprises three ex officio members—the chief secretary, the financial secretary, and the attorney general—and five members of the Legislative Council, who are elected to serve on the Executive Council for two-year terms. The legislature of St. Helena consists of the British monarch (nominally) and the Legislative Council, which has a speaker, a deputy speaker, the same three ex officio members who serve on the Executive Council, and 12 members who are elected to four-year terms (though the governor can dissolve the legislature before the end of the full term, at which time new elections are held).

The territory’s residents are British subjects. Legislation passed in Britain in 1981 established that they were not full citizens of the United Kingdom, as had been traditionally held. This greatly limited the population’s opportunities for employment abroad, and the territory’s constitutional relationship with Britain continued to come under periodic review and amendment. The British Overseas Territories Act (2002) granted British citizenship to the people of the overseas territories, including those of St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension.

Air Safety Support International (ASSI)

All aviation and air access matters on the Island are the responsibility of the St Helena Government (SHG) Civil Aviation (CAA) function within the Treasury, Infrastructure & Sustainable Development Portfolio. The regulation of aviation safety and security in St Helena is delegated to Air Safety Support International (ASSI). Those regulatory functions that are retained by the Governor are managed on a day-to-day basis by the Civil Aviation function – The Civil Aviation function is the lead in SHG in relation to all aviation regulatory matters. A critical function is also leading on strategic planning to support ongoing air access in support of Island needs – including supporting economic and tourism development and aero-medevac capability.

Airspace

SkyVector – Google Maps – ADS-B Exchange

ICAO countries publish an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This document is divided into three parts: General (GEN), En Route (ENR) and Aerodromes (AD). ENR 1.4 details the types of airspace classes they chose to adopt from classes A through G.

Saint Helena AIP

Drone Regulations

Island Drone Zones (Green / Yellow / Red) – Saint Helena operates a three-zone drone map designating Green (free fly), Yellow (permission required), and Red (prohibited except by exemption). These are not “advisory”—they are enforced by the island’s aviation authority with legal backing through local operational notices.

Event- or Day-Specific Flight Bans – The Saint Helena Government periodically issues temporary UAS restrictions tied to public events or safety conditions, meaning certain days or locations can become legally no-fly zones even if normally permitted. These notices are binding under local aviation authority powers.

Governor’s Binding Instructions (2024 AN(OT)O Amendment) – In 2024, the AN(OT)O was amended to give the Governor legal authority to issue binding drone operating instructions applicable specifically to Saint Helena. This means local published rules have direct legal force, not just advisory power.

Large Unmanned Aircraft (>25 kg) – Governor’s Permission Required – The 2024 amendment also created Article 73A, which makes it unlawful to operate any large, unmanned aircraft within Saint Helena without explicit Governor’s permission. This is separate from small-SUA rules and is a territorial legal control over heavy UAS.

Marine Protected Area (MPA), Wildlife Disturbance Controls – Saint Helena’s Marine Protected Area regulations allow the Government to restrict or condition drone flights to prevent disturbance of protected species such as whale sharks, seabirds, and migrating mammals. UAS use over the MPA is treated as a potential wildlife impact and can require conservation permission.

ASSI – Legal requirements for the operation of small unmanned aircraft in the UK Overseas Territories

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Regulations & Policies

None found by the author.

However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) News

None found by the author.

However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!

Short Essay Questions