Airside Operations PDF

## 2.1.4 Airside Operations ### 2.1.4.1 Weather and Data Acquisition - **Data are organized in a standard format developed by ICAO.** - **Codes are used to shorten transmission times and to eliminate language differences.** - **Observations are disseminated through a dedicated worldwide communicat...

## 2.1.4 Airside Operations ### 2.1.4.1 Weather and Data Acquisition - **Data are organized in a standard format developed by ICAO.** - **Codes are used to shorten transmission times and to eliminate language differences.** - **Observations are disseminated through a dedicated worldwide communication network.** - **Airport Operators, Airlines and other aircraft operators and Air Traffic Services (ATS) Units have access to this network.** - **Information on current weather conditions is important for planning.** - **Forecasting predicts key weather conditions for specific airports and for larger areas.** - **Aviation forecasts are recognizable by the term TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast).** - **Forecasts are useful for airlines for flight planning.** - **Factors affecting flight planning include winds, low visibility, ceiling conditions at the destination airport and in-flight icing conditions.** ### 2.1.4.2 Key Learning Point - **The objectives of Air Traffic Services are to prevent aircraft collisions, to provide pilots with advice and information, to assist responsible agencies in search and rescue operations, and to ensure the safe and efficient conduct of flights.** ### 2.1.4.2 Air Traffic Services - **Prevent collisions between aircraft.** - **Prevent collisions between aircraft on the maneuvering area and obstructions on that area.** - **Expedite and maintain an orderly flow of air traffic.** - **Provide advice and information useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights.** - **Notify appropriate organizations regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue aid, and assist such organizations as required.** - **Air traffic services comprise the Air Traffic Control Service, the Flight Information Service and the Alerting Service.** - **They provide these services through control towers, approach control units, and area control centers.** - **Aircraft in flight are kept apart using longitudinal, lateral, and vertical separation.** ### 2.1.4.3 Airside Commercial Tenants - **Enterprises who cater to aircraft on dedicated areas, potentially even their own property, such as freight terminal operators, airline maintenance bases, aircraft repair shops, fixed base operators and flight training centers; and** - **Enterprises who need direct vehicular access to the airside for the purpose of servicing aircraft on various aircraft stands. Examples of this category include flight kitchens, and fuel companies.** - **These enterprises need to comply with all aerodrome safety standards as they relate to Driving on the airside of an aerodrome, Construction and maintenance activities, and Working around aircraft.** ### 2.1.4.4 Security - **The airport operator should provide suitable means of protection against the intrusion on the aerodrome of** - **Animals large enough to constitute a hazard to aircraft (safety).** - **Unauthorized persons (security).** - **Fencing is the most common form of protection.** - **Fencing for security purposes should also apply to aeronautical facilities located off aerodrome, such as NDB, VORs, and surveillance stations.** - **Lighting is essential for added efficiency.** - **Cameras (CCTV) are installed to support observing areas which are difficult to control.** ### 2.1.4.5 Obstacle Restriction and Removal - **Aerodromes and surrounding lands must be free of obstacles, to permit the safe operation of aircraft and to prevent the aerodrome from becoming restricted or unusable.** - **To achieve these objectives, airports establish a number of imaginary surfaces, called Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) originating on the aerodrome and extending well beyond its boundaries.** - **Above these surfaces consequently is the so-called Obstacle Free Zone (OFZ). No object is allowed to penetrate these surfaces.** - **The path of aircraft needs to be protected from obstacles during the following phases of flight: Take-off and landing run, Initial climb, immediately after take-off, Final approach, immediately prior to landing, Missed approach, and Circling.** - **Various surfaces are used to ensure this protection.** - **Runway Strip:** - **Includes the runway and is a rectangular area that must be free of obstacles.** - **Some aeronautical equipment needs to be located on that area, but they must be frangible.** - **Take-off and Approach Surface:** - **Aircraft fly along a shallow slope, so there is a risk of having obstacles along these flight paths, which is why this surface exists.** - **Transitional Surface:** - **This surface is required for a missed approach.** - **Horizontal Surface:** - **This surface is required when maneuvering at low altitude or while conducting the Circling Procedure.** - **How do Airports Achieve this Protection?** - **On Airport: The airport operator has the authority to control the erection of obstacles within the airport property.** - **They can establish procedures to ensure that they are made aware ahead of time about any proposal to erect objects on the airport: buildings, signs, chimneys, or any other structure likely to affect air safety.** - **A good way of meeting this objective is to establish a permit system whereby any occupant of the airport must obtain an authorization from the airport operator before erecting any obstacle, regardless of its height and location on the airport.** - **This application will normally be reviewed by the Operations Division in consultation with any other organization having an interest in this matter (ATS, CAA, etc.).** - **The purpose of this technical review is to assess whether the proposed obstacle meets the requirements of the Obstacle Limitations Surfaces (OLS). If compliant, the request will be granted and the new obstacle will be recorded.** - **Off Airport: Protecting OLS off airport is a more challenging issue. The airport operator has no power to prevent the erection of obstacles outside of the property he manages. However, several measures can be successfully implemented:** - **Consultation with all neighboring municipalities and establishment of a procedure whereby the airport operator must review all development proposals submitted to the municipality. Technical assessment of proposals will be done using the same process as for the on-airport permit system.** - **Since municipalities might be reluctant to implement such a procedure, the airport operator must emphasize to officials the socio-economic problems that may result from non-compliance with OLS protection requirements (remember the economic benefits of airports).** - **Establishment of Zoning Regulations. It is possible to enact regulations embodying the requirements to protect OLS off airport. Once established, these regulations become law and they are enforceable. It should be noted, however, that they have no retroactive effect. Therefore, any existing obstacle must be removed, or it will otherwise create some restrictions on aircraft operations (for example a displaced threshold).** - **Once zoning regulations have been established, it is up to the affected municipality to ensure that any development proposal complies with its provisions. If there is a doubt, the Civil Aviation Authority should be consulted for advice. In all cases, the municipality must inform the airport operator of the proposal.** - **Finally, the airport operator may secure an easement to protect a specific area, such as the final approach to a runway. In this case, he will have to negotiate with the property owner a financial compensation for any loss of enjoyment of his property.** - **ICAO Type "A" Obstacle Charts: ICAO maintains a number of Regional Air Navigation Plans containing a list of designated International Airports. These airports are required to compile a number of data that include an inventory of obstacles located within the take-off path of their runways. This inventory must be kept current and re-validated every time new obstacles are erected, or at least every five years.** ### 2.1.4.6 Key Learning Point - **Fencing and lighting provide adequate means of preventing unauthorized aerodrome access by large animals and people.** ### 2.1.5 Operational Procedures of Airside ### 2.1.5.1 Aerodrome Emergency Response Plans - **Planning means being ready for the future. Nowhere is this statement more valid than in the area of aerodrome emergencies.** - **It involves the preparation of the airport to cope with an emergency on the aerodrome or in its immediate vicinity.** - **Emergencies include:** - **Aircraft emergencies (fire, crash, fuel shortage, engine failures).** - **Unlawful interference (seizure, bomb threats, sabotage).** - **Dangerous goods occurrences (radioactive materials or explosives on board aircraft).** - **Building fires (terminal building, control tower, maintenance facilities).** - **Natural disasters (hurricane, flood, earthquake).** - **Health related incidents like contagious passengers.** - **The following four conditions are crucial for successful response to emergencies:** - **Having a comprehensive and current emergency plan.** - **Having repeatedly tested the procedures contained in this plan through realistic exercises.** - **Having qualified and competent emergency response personnel.** - **Having formally secured the assistance of off-aerodrome specialized agencies.** - **The Aerodrome Emergency Plan:** - **ICAO requires that aerodromes establish an emergency plan commensurate with the type and level of aircraft activities taking place at the aerodrome.** - **The objective of such a plan is to save lives, minimize the effects of an emergency, maintain normal aircraft operations, and return the aerodrome to its normal status as quickly as possible.** - **It should address three important concepts: Be prepared, by defining procedures and assigning responsibilities. Follow these procedures in a real emergency or during an exercise. Learn from weaknesses observed during an emergency or an exercise.** - **The Aerodrome Emergency Plan should include the following sections:** - **Types of emergency scenarios covered in the plan.** - **Procedures applicable to each type of emergency.** - **Agencies involved in the plan.** - **Responsibilities and roles of each agency.** - **Names and telephone numbers of key people to be contacted for each type of emergency.** - **A grid map of the aerodrome and of its vicinity for ease of reference.** - **Need for Logistical Resources:** - **Each aerodrome should establish an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Its role is to ensure the overall inter-agency coordination and management of emergencies.** - **A mobile Command Post (CP) should also be established to ensure on-site coordination.** - **The successful coordination of an emergency rests with good communications (radio, telephone) between the EOC, the CP, and all internal and external agencies involved.** - **Assistance from Other Agencies:** - **Aerodrome operators must coordinate the response to emergencies with several specialized agencies, who will contribute to the successful resolution of the emergency.** - **The type and number of such agencies varies with the size and complexity of the airport. However, the most common ones are:** - **ATS** - **Aircraft operators** - **Ground Service Providers** - **Police** - **Security** - **Medical and ambulance services** - **Fire departments** - **Hospitals** ### 2.1.5.2 Wildlife Control - **This issue relates to the hazard of collisions between aircraft and animals, in flight and on the ground.** - **Although large mammals have caused damage to aircraft during the take-off or landing run, the major problem is caused by collisions with birds.** - **Such collisions have caused major air disasters. They also cause airlines substantial damage on engines and airframes, with the ensuing repair and unserviceability costs. It is therefore a very serious question.** - **Airports do not cause the presence of birds on and near their property.** - **However, after collisions causing death or damage, courts have consistently ruled that the airport operator is responsible to take any appropriate measure to reduce the presence of birds on and near airports.** - **What attracts birds on Aerodromes?** - **Aerodromes are vast expanses of land with relatively low activity. Birds feel safe in such an environment and they use it for loafing (sitting about).** - **Aerodromes provide food and water (insects, small mammals, worms, waste, standing water).** - **Trees, shrubs, and buildings provide habitat and nesting.** - **Birds fly over aerodromes while going between feeding points and habitat sites, although they may be located at a significant distance from the aerodrome.** - **Migrating birds might have their primary routes passing the approach- or take of sector of an airport.** - **Procedures on how to Reduce Bird Hazard:** - **The aerodrome operator to take steps to deal with bird hazard. He should follow a number of standard steps:** - **Understand the problem:** - **The first step is to assess the level of risk by collecting data on reported bird strikes. Aircraft operators often keep track of such occurrences. Data collected should include the date and time, the location of the strike in relation to the aerodrome, its altitude, and weather conditions. It may be possible to identify the bird species from crew reports or from discovery of bird remains by airport personnel.** - **Monthly and annual statistics are then developed to identify the magnitude and characteristics of the problem.** - **Implement reduction measures:** - **Removal: Birds can be killed with firearms, poisoned, or trapped. These measures may require special authorization from police and wildlife conservation authorities.** - **Deterrence: The following measures are commonly used:** - **Auditory: pyrotechnic devices, gas cannons, recorded distress calls.** - **Visual: dead or model birds, trained falcon.** - **Chemical: repellent products.** - **Exclusion: Standing water in ditches or low-lying areas attracts waterfowl such as ducks. Installing wires or horizontal fences over these water points will prevent birds' access.** - **If the presence of large mammals on the aerodrome is a problem, it may be necessary to install high fences in critical areas (some species can easily jump over a 2 m fence) and must bury the fence deep into the ground to prevent animals from digging under the fence.** - **Habitat modification: The following measures are commonly used:** - **Control garbage on and near the aerodrome (this can be part of Zoning Regulations).** - **Remove features that attract waterfowl: remove standing water, improve drainage.** - **Remove berry-producing trees and shrubs.** - **Remove trees and shrubs that foster nesting and loafing.** - **Modify building structures that attract birds: ledges, sills, overhanging roofs. This is better done at the design stage. Alternatively, wire mesh can be installed if an existing building attracts birds.** - **Control the height of grass on the aerodrome. Birds tend to feel less secure while standing on short grass, where they are an easy prey for predators. What works best? All the above methods have advantages and disadvantages. Some measures (such as keeping the grass short) will attract grass-hoppers that will, in turn, attract some species of birds; conversely, tall grass may attract small mammals that will, in turn, attract birds of prey. Birds become habituated to scare tactics: after few days of high scare, they will get closer and closer to scaring devices.** - **Bird activity near the aerodrome is very difficult to control. What is the solution? The airport operator should develop a Wildlife Control Plan. This plan should include the following subjects:** - **Statistics on bird strikes.** - **Inventory and behavior of bird species (it may be useful to solicit the advice of an ornithologist).** - **Implement more than one method and rotate them; move scaring devices around the aerodrome.** - **Make one person responsible to implement the Plan.** - **Establish a Bird Hazard Clause in your Zoning Regulations (prohibit land uses that attract birds: garbage dumps, waste disposal sites, fish processing plants, and some agricultural uses). This alters the habitat of relevant animals and thus improves the risk situation most sustainably.** ### 2.1.5.3 Environmental Protection Management - **Airports are industrial enterprises that can be a source of pollution for the natural environment and human health.** - **These negative effects exist on airport property, but they can be felt at a considerable distance outside of its boundaries.** - **It is therefore vital that airport operators adopt measures that create equilibrium between the needs of the airport, of the local communities, and of the natural environment.** - **Many States have developed environmental protection laws and regulations.** - **Airports must therefore abide with the provisions of this legislation, not only because it is the law but also to be good corporate citizens and partners in the regional environment.** - **The components of the natural environment that airports can affect are:** - **Air** - **Water** - **Soil** - **Fauna and Flora** - **There are also impacts on human health such as noise.** - **Air: From a public perspective, the most obvious source of airport air pollution is exhaust gases from aircraft engines.** - **Modern aircraft are not only quieter than older types, they are also more fuel efficient and less polluting.** - **Heat generation plants can generate smoke. Construction and maintenance activities may generate dust or smoke which can affect air quality.** - **Procedures: The following measures contribute to the improvement of air quality:** - **Convert airport equipment to propane gas, hydrogen or electric. It produces less pollution than gasoline or diesel. This is particularly useful in constrained or closed areas.** - **Avoid prolonged idling of vehicles while waiting.** - **Reduce vehicular congestion, which causes unnecessary idling.** - **Implement a strict APU policy requesting pilots to switch off the Auxiliary Power Unit shortly after being connected to relevant ground power. For this airport operators must provide fixed electrical power supply (400 Hz) and potentially even fixed preconditioned air supply.** - **Water-Hydrocarbons:** - **The main risk of water pollution at airports comes from fuel and oil spillage. Operators store and handle large quantities of fuel, oil and hydraulic fluid.** - **They carry out aircraft refueling and maintenance with care.** - **However, there are numerous daily fueling operations; they regularly transfer fuel from storage tanks to fuel trucks and transport it from the fuel depot to the apron, thereby increasing the risk of spillage.** - **It takes very little fuel or oil to harm the environment. Few liters that find their way into a storm sewer pipe are sufficient to pollute water streams several kilometers from the airport.** - **De-icing Chemicals:** - **Airports located in cold climates need to use de-icing chemicals for several reasons:** - **Remove ice, snow and frost from aircraft surfaces prior to take-off, using a mix of water and chemical antifreeze.** - **Remove or prevent the formation of ice on the movement area and on roads, using various solid or liquid chemicals, or salt (on landside only).** - **Some of these chemicals have harmful effects on aquatic life, especially on fish and vegetation. This problem can be eliminated by modern recycling facilities.** - **Bacteria: Another potential source of water pollution is bacteria.** - **Sediments: Sediments are not really a cause of pollution.** - **Temperature: Environmental regulations often require that airport effluents do not increase the existing temperature of streams as it may affect the health of aquatic plants or animals.** - **Soil Pollution:** - **The main source of soil pollution originates from leaking underground fuel or oil tanks and from slow but repeated fuel or oil leaks from parked vehicles and equipment.** - **Fauna and Flora: The main effects come from construction and maintenance activities.Any addition of paved surfaces, such as the extension of a runway, road or car parking lot, reduces the amount of grass, trees and shrubs. This may affect or destroy the natural habitat of animals.** - **Recommended Operational Procedures: The following measures contribute to reducing the impact on the fauna and flora:** - **Prohibit washing and maintenance of vehicles, aircraft and equipment, outside of designated areas.** - **Contain, collect and remove spilled fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid. Make the polluter responsible for corrective actions and for any cost associated with these actions.** - **Install and maintain approved fuel and oil interceptors on storm sewer pipes, especially on aprons, in fuel depots, and in vehicle, aircraft and equipment maintenance areas.** - **Conduct de-icing activities in areas where spent fluids can be recuperated. An added advantage is that spent chemicals can be recycled and re-used.** - **Use environment-friendly runway de-icing chemicals.** - **Ensure the integrity of sanitary sewer pipes.** - **Store food waste in sealed containers.** - **Provide a settling pond if water run off carries sediments or if warm water is regularly released.** - **Adopt a policy requiring the use of above-ground double-walled tanks or tanks with an appropriate containment barrier.** - **Ensure that construction projects take into account expected effects on the local environment.** ### 2.1.5.4 Noise Management - **Airports generate no noise, aircraft do. However, aircraft noise is probably the most significant operational challenge facing airport management. It is a worldwide problem dating back to the advent of the commercial jet age in 1950s.** - **It was first officially acknowledged in 1966 at the International Conference on the Reduction of Noise and Disturbance Caused by Civil Aircraft.** - **The problem grew steadily over time, and it has become a major public concern and a constraint to airport development.** - **Aircraft noise interferes with normal life and distracts from the enjoyable use of one's property. It is a subjective problem because different people react differently to aircraft noise: some do not seem to be bothered while others find it intolerable. Noise has adverse physiological and psychological effects on people. It is therefore a sensitive issue.** - **ICAO developed Annex 16 (Environmental Protection-Volume I-Aircraft Noise) dealing exclusively with this issue. It includes a number of measures that can alleviate this problem.** - **Measures to Reduce Exposure to Aircraft Noise:** - **Prevention at the source (quieter aircraft engines).** - **Control of Noise Exposure near Airports (land use compatibility).** - **Noise Abatement procedures (flight paths, hours of operations, ground noise).** - **Noise insulation program or expropriation (to reduce indoor noise levels and encourage and support the relocation of incompatible land uses).** - **Noise Abatement Procedures in the Air:** - **Restrictions to Hours of Operations: To reduce noise during quiet hours, the operation of noisy aircraft can be prohibited. It is called a curfew.** - **Establishment of a Landing Fee Surcharge: As a deterring measure, airports can establish a higher landing fee for the noisier aircraft types operating during quiet hours.** - **Use of Preferential Runways: If a less than optimal runway orientation affects fewer people, it should be used as a preferential runway, within the limits of air safety (take-off length required and crosswind limitations).** - **Minimum Noise Routings: This procedure calls for changes in aircraft track after take-off so that they fly around noise-sensitive areas. Aircraft using conventional navigation aids fly the procedures with a certain tolerance. The result is that the actual track flown by subsequent aircraft will be "scattered" and hence noise is more distributed. This means that at any given point under the departure area, the amount of noise actually experienced is lower. With the introduction of satellite navigation procedures this scattering effect is eliminated, with aircraft flying extremely accurate tracks. This kind of navigation does make it possible to fly around noise sensitive areas very accurately and even on complicated tracks, but the higher accuracy tends to upset people in the area. They experience a concentration of noise that was not apparent beforehand.** - **Reduced power after Take-off: A power reduction after a safe altitude has been reached will decrease the noise level emitted by the engines. This procedure has safety limitations because it calls for a reduction in engine power at a time when the aircraft needs to accelerate to its climb speed.** - **Noise abatement procedures on the ground-Engine Run-Ups: Aircraft operators often take advantage of nighttime to carry out engine maintenance. This work sometimes requires that a pre-flight engine run up be done. It consists in starting up the affected engine and running it for some time at various power settings to ensure its serviceability.** - **Thrust reversal: After landing, jet aircraft need to decelerate as quickly as possible. In addition to applying brakes, the pilot can use a device called a thrust reverser. It is a system that redirects the engine thrust forward, thereby causing deceleration.** - **Impact of Noise Abatement Procedures on Aircraft and Airport Operators: The measures explained above have a number of negative impacts:** - **Increased distance translating into extra flight time and fuel cost.** - **Higher operating costs.** - **Added complexity in flight procedures for flight crews.** - **Constraints in meeting market demand when curfews are in effect.** - **Constraints on engine maintenance schedules.** - **Waste of available airport capacity.** - **In light of the above considerations, ICAO requires that noise abatement procedures only to be introduced if there exists a demonstrated noise problem. If deemed warranted, such procedures should be developed after due consultation with aircraft operators (through the AOC), ATS, and the CAA.** - **Sound Insulation Program and Land Purchase: In some cases, airport operators or governments may provide a grant to be used to add features such as double window glazing or other sound-proofing techniques. This can be quite expensive, and it does not reduce outdoor noise levels.** - **Finally, in extreme cases, airports may purchase lands that have become subject to unacceptable noise levels. Needless to say, that this avenue is very expensive and highly unpopular. It should only be considered as a last resort and in cases where living conditions have become unacceptable and the survival of the airport is at stake.** - **Noise Monitoring:** - **Noise being a subjective matter, airport operators should collect facts relative to noise complaints from the public.** - **One of the tools that can be used to that effect is a noise monitoring system. Available technology ranges from simple microphones located at specific points in areas affected by aircraft noise, to highly sophisticated computers that record noise on a continuous basis and correlate the information with specific flights by displaying them on a live screen.** - **Data are recorded and can be played back if and when a complaint arises.** - **Communications with the Public:** - **From a public relations perspective, the key ingredient in managing a noise problem is to be attentive to those people who suffer from it.** - **This can be done on an individual basis or through a noise management committee if the severity of the problem warrants.** - **Care should be exercise in inviting the public to such committees.** - **It is best to invite one representative who can speak on behalf of his neighborhood than to face an emotional crowd.** - **Using factual feedback provided by a noise monitoring system goes a long way toward removing the subjective aspect of noise complaints.** - **Noise Management Plan:** - **All implemented procedures designed at mitigating noise problems at your airport should be organized in an official document called a Noise Management Plan, to be developed in consultation with aircraft operators, ATS, and the CAA.** - **This Plan should include the following aspects:** - **Statistics on noise complaints and trend.** - **List of current and proposed aircraft types serving the airport.** - **List of implemented prevention and mitigation measures.** - **Enforcement actions.** - **Public consultation.** - **Conclusion: All noise abatement procedures have negative effects on airport customers. Therefore, the best alternative is prevention of noise problems through land use compatibility. When done at the planning stage, it eliminates downstream operational, financial and public relation difficulties.** - **Noise management is a time-consuming activity requiring substantial manpower and equipment particularly if aircraft noise is a major problem in the community.** ### 2.1.5.5 Apron Management Services - **Apron management services consist of the following activities:** - **Control of aircraft and vehicles operating on the apron** - **Allocation of aircraft stands** - **Monitoring the safe condition of pavements and other surfaces.** - **Monitoring safety of operations** - **Control of Aircraft and Vehicles:** - **The apron is an area, where the airport operator takes full responsibility for traffic control. There is a clear division of responsibility between ATC (Tower) and Airport (apron management services).** - **When the density of aircraft and vehicular traffic, and the complexity of the apron layout warrant, apron control by means of direct aircraft guidance via radio communication and in addition via automated sequenced control of apron taxi lane center lighting is provided to maintain an adequate level of safety.** - **The objectives of this service are to:** - **Prevent collisions between aircraft and between aircraft and vehicles.** - **Regulate the smooth and if possible seamless circulation of aircraft on the apron and the entry into and exit from the apron of aircraft, by coordinating with ATC.** - **Ensure the safe and expeditious movement of vehicles.** - **Monitor the safety of operations on the apron, especially on stands.** - **Apron Control may be provided by one of the following agencies:** - **ATC, through an agreement with the airport operator.** - **The airport operator.** - **A third party on behalf of the airport operator.** - **The main tools used to provide Apron Control service are radiotelephony, surveillance equipment, direct sight, cameras and follow me vehicles.** - **Allocation of Aircraft Stands:** - **This activity consists in planning and operation-ally doing the allocation of incoming aircraft to specific stands, using predetermined rules and procedures, and in resolving operational conflicts caused by:** - **Early arrivals.** - **Late departures.** - **Changes in type of aircraft.** - **Closure of stands due to maintenance, construction, fuel or oil spills, and other operational irregularities.** - **Unexpected arrivals caused by diversions from other airports.** - **This service can be provided by one of the following agencies:** - **The airport operator.** - **An airline, if it owns or operates its own terminal, or uses dedicated stands.** - **Basic Stand Assignment Rules:** - **Three categories of assignment rules exist:** - **Dedicated assignment: specific stands are reserved for specific operators and even flights.** - **Common assignment: any flight can be assigned to any stand, within the constraints of aircraft/stand compatibility and access to Government Control facilities for international arrivals.** - **Preferential assignment: this is a modified common use method. Airlines with high volumes of traffic are given priority over the stands they use most often. It provides good flexibility of assignment while providing the major airlines with some operational benefits.** - **When it comes to the assignment of stands, it is important to establish clear and well-understood rules.** - **The idea is to provide equitable access to stands, within operational constraints. Usually that is a negotiation between the airport operator and the airlines to determine the relevant needs and interests.** - **Home base carriers often benefit from a bigger traffic share and thus having more alternatives to plan for their aircraft stands in a dedicated area.** - **Here are some basic procedures that will help provide an efficient service to customers:** - **Stands should be assigned so as to provide the shortest walking distance for the greatest number of passengers. This increases the connectivity for transferring passengers and baggage.** - **Aircraft compatible with a loading bridge should be given priority for a bridge-equipped stand over a non-compatible aircraft.** - **Regular flights should have priority over charter flights or technical stops.** - **Some airlines (especially in the low-cost segment) prefer not to get a stand with a loading bridge for speed of boarding and costs.** ### 2.1.5.6 Operations and Infrastructure Safety - **Monitoring the safe conditions of pavements and other surfaces: the condition of runways and to a lesser extent of taxiways is critical to the safety of moving aircraft. So, the unit performing such surface monitoring have to control:** - **evenness** - **cracks, potholes and bumps** - **FOD (Foreign Object Debris)** - **visibility of markings and signs** - **the technical condition of lights** - **They have to determine the criticality of deficiencies and to decide either to close the runway for flight operations or to trigger a workflow with the relevant maintenance unit or contractor for later repair. In international airports these inspections have to be performed at least 4 times a day for runways, 2 times for taxiways and regularly for aprons. For the maneuvering area this always includes the attached shoulders and strips.** - **Runway inspections should be treated like a normal flight, i.e. the inspector requests runway inspection via ATC-tower frequency, so that all aircraft in the relevant area keep a full situational awareness of the blocked runway. The task and its findings should be clearly documented in the operational log.** - **Additional events for inspections of runways are:** - **Aborted take-off** - **Emergency landing** - **Detected FOD** - **Extremely wet conditions** - **Winter conditions (then especially for friction testing)** - **General friction values of the runway's surface for potential rubber removal** - **Monitoring Safety of Operations:** - **The unit responsible for the monitoring of the safety of operations usually is linked to the follow-me operators. They are on the spot and can monitor the conduct of staff, the adherence to airport regulations or the condition of infrastructure, facilities, systems or vehicles.** - **They might be supported by the security unit, that supports with speed and drivers licenses controls.** - **Some examples of such irregular operations are:** - **winter operations** - **low visibility operations** - **extreme weather operations** - **Lack of adequate clearance between parked aircraft.** - **Fuel or oil spills.** - **Presence of FOD.** - **Suspicious or unsafe practices (smoking on the apron, vehicle speeding, non-compliance with apron service roads, etc.).** ### 2.1.5.7 Aeronautical Information - **The planning of any flight requires access to a considerable amount of aeronautical information: condition of departure and destination airports, airspace restrictions, aerodrome layouts, profile of instrument approaches, hours of operation, availability and type of fuel, radio and navigation frequencies, air traffic control requirements, etc.** - **ICAO developed an international format for the production and dissemination of aeronautical information. Each ICAO member State is obliged to establish a national agency responsible for the management of tasks related to the provision of aeronautical information. It is also allowed to contract a specialized agency to carry out the tasks on behalf of a member State.** - **The main product of the above service is the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). It has two basic objectives:** - **Compile and make known what exists.** - **Compile and disseminate what has changed and is of an urgent operational nature.** - **The first task consists in developing and maintaining a number of documents that provide pilots with all the technical information required to plan a flight with due knowledge of all the facilities and services provided at any airport, and in the airspace of the State. There are eight categories of facilities and services, as laid out by ICAO:** - **General** - **Aerodromes** - **Communications** - **Meteorology** - **Rules of the Air** - **Facilitation** - **Search and Rescue** - **Aeronautical Charts** - **Since there are frequent changes to facilities and services, there is an amendment service provided in each State to keep the AIP current.** - **The second task consists in collecting and disseminating to the attention of pilots, urgent notices relative to upcoming or existing changes to aviation facilities or services.** - **This is done through messages of a standard format, called NOTAMS, for 'Notice To Airmen'. NOTAMS are normally disseminated by the fastest means available such as electronic mail or telex.** - **The information contained in NOTAMs is coded according to an ICAO coding system. This allows for a condensed format and it eliminates language problems.** - **NOTAMs relevant to a given airport's facilities and services are initiated by Aerodrome Operations personnel airport. Therefore they must be familiar with the coding system, not only to prepare NOTAMs but also to decipher NOTAMs received from other aerodromes. NOTAM are also initiated by the appropriate agencies for changes in the system that are not airport related.** - **Special kinds of NOTAM are the SNOWTAM and the ASHTAM, which contain information about snow and volcanic ash.** - **NOTAMs are useful to pilots, airport operators, ATS and the CAA.** - **The most common subject of NOTAMs is the closure or temporary unserviceability of facilities. Some examples may include:** - **Closure of a runway for repair purposes.** - **Unserviceability of an ILS for preventative maintenance.** - **Closure of a volume of airspace due to a military exercise.** - **Presence of a new obstacle.** - **A new ICAO methodology for assessing and reporting runway surface conditions, commonly known as the Global Reporting Format (GRF), starts to be applicable on 04 November 2021. It enables the harmonized assessment and reporting of runway surface conditions and a correspondingly improved flight crew assessment of take-off and landing performance. Runway surface conditions have contributed to many safety events and investigations have revealed shortfalls in the accuracy and timeliness of assessment and reporting methods. GRF introduces a common language between all actors of the system: aircraft manufacturers, airport operators, aircraft operators, ANSPs, AIM, MET and other stakeholders.** ### 2.1.6 Unit Summary - **The movement area consists of runways, taxiways and aprons. They are respectively used for the take-off and landing of aircraft, their surface circulation, their parking, and loading and unloading.** - **Visual aids provide pilots with visual reference while taxiing, landing and taking off. There are four categories of visual aids: indicators and signaling devices, paint markings, signs, and lights. They can be used to help