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Home ö StrategicObjective ö Safety ö

Every�ightstartsandendsatanAerodrome.

Fromtheirhumblebeginningsasrelativelysimplelandingstrips,internationalaerodromeshaveevolvedintohighlycomplexfacilities.Amoderninternationalaerodrome’senvironmentischaracterizedbyvastareas,distinctairside(movementarea)andlandsideareas,sophisticatedtechnologies,dozensofsquarekilometresofrunways,taxiways,aprons,serviceareas,amultitudeof

AerodromeCertification:KeyToSafeAndEfficientAerodromeOperationsTheinternationalcivilaviationnetworkcarriesoverfourbillionpassengers

aroundtheworldannually.IncelebratingICAO's75thAnniversary

Celebrations,wewillbehighlightingsomeofthecrucialsafety

achievementsthathaveenabledthis.Wehopeyoufollowour

UnitingAviation.comseriesthroughouttheyear,andweencourageyouto

usethe#ICAO75hashtagtoshareyourthoughtsandmemorieswithus

throughsocialmedia.

ByAvnerShilo OnMay3,2019

SAFETY

26/06/2019 Aerodrome Certification: key to safe and efficient aerodrome operations - Uniting Aviation

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equipmentandintegratedsystems,andthegrowingactivityofthirdparties.Addedtoallofthis,today’saerodromesarefacing,morethanever,increasingcommercialpressureswithgreaterpublicawarenessandexpectationsonsafetyande�ciencyissues.

ICAOlong-termtra�cforecastsindicatethatglobalpassengertra�cwillalmostdoubleby2032,reachingmorethan6billionpassengersannually–comparedto3.5billionin2016–andtherewillbemorethan60million�ights.Asthenumberofaerodromesservinginternationaloperationsisnotexpectedtoincreasesigni�cantly(andcertainlywillnotcorrelatewiththeforecastgrowthinpassengervolumeandaircraftmovements),thereisaneedforensuringthesustainableaccommodationofthisunprecedentedgrowth,whilemaintainingsafetyandregularityofoperations.

Aerodromecerti�cationhasbeenarequirementinICAOAnnex14–Aerodromes,VolumeI–AerodromeDesignandOperationssince2001.Itisaprovenandeffectivewayofensuringsafeande�cientaerodromeoperations,throughade�nedencompassingprocesswhichexaminesvariouscomponentsoftheaerodrome,withanaimtoverifyingtheircompliancewithinternationalStandardsandRecommendedPractices(SARPs).  

ICAOsetsforthanarrayofprovisionsthatencompassthewholelifecycleoftheaerodromecerti�cationprocess,fromtheestablishmentofadedicatedmechanism,totheplanningofacerti�cationprojectanditsexecution.Theseinclude,�rstandforemost,Annex14,VolumeIwhichsetsthebasic,high-levelrequirementsinthisarea;thePANS-Aerodromes–ProceduresforAirNavigationServices–Aerodromes(Doc9981),whichdetailsathoroughglobalprocedureforaerodromecerti�cation;andtheManualonCerti�cationofAerodromes(Doc9774)whichprovides

26/06/2019 Aerodrome Certification: key to safe and efficient aerodrome operations - Uniting Aviation

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guidancematerialsupportingtheSARPsandthePANSprocedures.Furthermore,thesethreemaindocumentsarealsosupportedbymorethan20othermanualswhichprovidefurtherguidanceonspeci�csubsetsrelatedtotheaerodromecerti�cationprocess,including,amongothers,aerodromeplanning,design,rescueand�re�ghting,wildlifemanagement,visualaids,obstaclescontrolandmore.

Duringathoroughcerti�cationprocess,aerodromeregulatorsandoperatorsverifythattheaerodrome’sfacilities,design,equipmentandoperationalprocedurescomplywithrelevantSARPs,therebyensuringsafeoperationsandsupportingoptimizationofaerodromecapacityande�ciency.

AccordingtoAnnex14,VolumeI,Statesshallcertifytheinternationalaerodromesintheareasundertheirjurisdiction,throughanestablishedmechanism.Thecerti�cationprocessisoutlinedinthePANS-Aerodromes(Doc9981).Generally, itstartswithasubmission,bytheaerodromeoperator,ofaformalapplicationtothenationalauthorityresponsibleforcivilaviation,whichincludesbasicinformationontheaerodromeoperator(towhomthecerti�cationwillbegrantedintheendofasuccessfulcerti�cationprocess),theaerodromeitselfanditsfacilities,andtheintendedoperations.Itcontinueswithathoroughreviewbytheauthorityoftheaerodromemanual,thekeydocumentsubmittedbytheaerodromeoperator,whichdetailstheday-to-dayproceduresfortheoperationoftheaerodrome,aswellasinformationpertainingtoitsplanning

26/06/2019 Aerodrome Certification: key to safe and efficient aerodrome operations - Uniting Aviation

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anddesign.

Theprocessisfollowedbytechnicalinspectionsandon-siteveri�cationbytheauthorityoftheaerodromefacilitiesandoperationalprocedures,includingitssafetymanagementsystem, inordertocompletetheanalysisandensurecompliancewithapplicableprovisions,aswellastheappropriatenessofoperatingprocedures.Theprocessendswiththegrantingoftheaerodromecerti�cation,whichmayincludedetailsonspeci�coperations-relatedfeaturesorlimitationsarisingfromthecerti�cationprocess,informationonmajorfacilities,andthevalidityofthecerti�cate.

Ofparticularimportanceistheconduct,aspartofthecerti�cationprocess,ofcompatibilitystudiesandsafetyassessmentsasoutlinedinthePANS-Aerodromes,inordertoaddress

operationalissuesinasustainableway,tofacilitatetheaccommodationofnewlargerormoredemandingaircraftsbytheaerodrome,andtodevelopoperationalproceduresandoperatingrestrictions,ifneeded.

26/06/2019 Aerodrome Certification: key to safe and efficient aerodrome operations - Uniting Aviation

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6 #ICAO75

ICAOprovidesongoingsupporttoMemberStatesintheareaofaerodromecerti�cation.Thisassistanceisaimedatcapacitybuildingandimplementingaerodromecerti�cationworldwide,andprimarilyincludesassistancetoStatesintransposingICAOprovisionsintotheirnationalregulations,conductinggapanalyses,andaddressingoperationalissuesrevealedinthecerti�cationprocess.

ThiscarriedoutthroughcontinuousdialoguewithStates,directsupportbyICAORegionalO�ces,theorganizationanddeliveryofregionalworkshopsandseminarsonaerodromecerti�cationandoperations,andalsotheimplementationofaerodromecerti�cationprojectsbyICAO’sTechnicalCooperationBureau(TCB).

Abouttheauthor

AvnerShiloisaTechnicalO�cerattheICAOAirportOperationsandInfrastructureSection,responsibleforaerodromeoperationsmatters,includingaerodromecerti�cation,andtheaerodromeoperations-relatedworkinggroupsoftheICAOAerodromeDesignandOperationsPanel(ADOP).Hehas15years’experienceinaviationasanAirTra�cController,AerodromeinspectorandmanagerofanAerodromesection,involvedinaerodromedesign,planning,certi�cation,andinspection.HepossessesaBAandMAinenvironmentalstudies.

 

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