Is it illgal to listen to air craft in the UK

I keep getting conflicting information in Google about listening to air band & marine band. I just wanted to clear this up... Is it illegal to listen to air craft or transmissions such as marine band here in the UK?

Technically illegal but who is going to know??

Only really allowed public broadcasts.

Good question.
You can or could buy low cost radio's with "Air Band" on the front.
Not looked for a long time but you did see them in shop windows.

Apparently, it's illegal if the intention is to obtain information, or to disclose the content...

My guess is that general interest, as in SWL, isn't intention to obtain information. But I'm not a lawyer 


Unauthorised reception
There are two criminal offences relating to unauthorised reception: interception and disclosure. See section 48 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.

Interception
It is an offence for an unauthorised person to use wireless telegraphy apparatus with intent to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any message whether sent by means of wireless telegraphy or not, of which neither the person using the apparatus nor a person on whose behalf he is acting is an intended recipient.

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 allows for a number of different organisations to carry out interception of communications and other forms of monitoring.

Disclosure
It is an offence for someone, otherwise than under the authority of a designated person, to disclose any information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any message referred to above. However, this does not apply where the disclosure is in the course of legal proceedings or for the purpose of any report of those proceedings. Furthermore, it does not apply where the information would have come to the person’s knowledge without the use of wireless telegraphy apparatus by the person or by anyone else.

This means that it is illegal to disclose to a third party anything heard in a transmission that a person has listened to without authorisation.

The maximum penalty is up to two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/radio-equipment/radio-spectrum-and-the-law/

Deb

Thanks for the info...

My understanding used to be that it was legal as long as you didn't pass the information on or use a scanner in organized crime for example. I watched a few videos on YouTube Ringway Manchester of people that went to prison just for listening to the police on there scanners back in the early days, of course today you can't listen to the police anymore because they are Tetra Airwave now.

I guess with everything going on today, they are concerned about the public listening to Air Band & Marine Band.

There is a VHF license one can apply for & also for AirBand but that is mainly for using a radio on a boat/aircraft to transmit. I guess if you had one of those it be legal to listen in. I used to have a Marine license years ago when on the boat.