EASA proposes new certification specifications for aerodrome design

TIN news:   The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed new certification specifications (CS) for aerodrome design, which will enable airports to accommodate larger aircraft at existing aerodromes.

The new CS proposal takes into account technological upgrades to modern aircraft, such as precise guidance systems for landing / take-off and taxiing.

The technological advancement would also mean that the current international and European provisions for designing airport areas, such as runways and taxiways, would have to be lightened without compromising safety.

EASA has launched a public consultation on the new airport CS, called the Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA), which ends on 31 May.

At the end of the public consultation, the agency will review the comments received and then prepare its decision for a regulatory change of CS for aerodrome design.

The proposed CS will facilitate the accommodation of large flights within the existing infrastructure, increasing the capacity of congested aerodromes.

The new provisions will also help reduce construction and maintenance costs of runways, runway shoulders, and taxiways.

This will also benefit the airlines as they would be able to operate large aircraft from more aerodromes and plan their network better.

In addition, the provisions will ensure more efficient use of available land, reducing the consumption of construction materials for infrastructure development.

In spring 2017, EASA expects to synchronise its NPA public consultation process with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) consultation, which will offer an enhanced overview of the proposed developments to ICAO member states.