The objective of this amendment is to update the certification specifications for aerodromes design in line with the ICAO developments and other technical improvements, and to maintain a high level of safety of aerodrome design. The Agency is proposing this re-issue of CS ADR-DSN in order to support and facilitate the aerodrome operators and airport industry together with the respective competent authorities that are currently performing a certification process following Commission Regulation (EU) No 139/2014. This certification process would need to take into account the envisaged changes.
The purpose of this amendment is to update the certification specifications (CSs) and guidance material (GM) for Aerodrome Design (CS-ADR-DSN — CS Issue 2) mainly in accordance with the respective ICAO standards and recommended practices (SARPs), incorporated in ICAO State Letter AN 4/1.2.24-13/20 which includes Amendments 11-A and 11-B to ICAO Annex 14, Volume I, Aerodromes. Amendment 11-A includes updates on some definitions, as for example: hot spot, instrument runway and non-instrument runway, characteristics of surface of runways and of runway turn pads, objects on runway strips, blast pad, runway end safety areas, surface of stopways and of taxiways, enhanced taxiway centre line marking, simple touchdown zone lights, alternate taxiway centre line lights, stop bars, runway guard lights, no-entry bar, etc. This amendment incorporates reformatting of Chapter 6 of Annex 14 ‘Visual aids for denoting obstacles’, as well as siting of equipment and installations on operational areas, runway pavement overlays and visual aids, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), colours for aeronautical ground lights, markings, signs and panels, including white colour for LED lights, aeronautical ground light characteristics, including no-entry bar, integrity classifications, as well characteristics of movement area and adjacent areas and runway end safety areas. Amendment 11-B concerns revised instrument and non-instrument approach runway definitions as a result of new approach classification definitions. This amendment also includes new requirements for the runway starter extension which is already in use in some member States, but not with harmonised requirements at EU level. Runway starter extension may be used for runways where additional distance is required for take-off.
This amendment also addresses some recommendations and comments received from stakeholders, and it encompasses corrections and some administrative changes for better clarity of the text, unification of references, etc. However, this amendment does not contain ICAO Amendments 12 and 13 to Annex 14, some technical proposals received in the meantime from stakeholders and individuals, and some other updates of the guidance material. They will be incorporated in the NPA for CS ADR-DSN Issue 4, which is foreseen for Q1/2017.
The changes to the design characteristics emerging from this amendment are of major significance to the aerodrome industry also in an economic sense and, besides the facilitating effect along the now on-going certification exercise, do provide better clarity and consistency with international standards. Additionally, this revision will enable aerodrome operators to further develop their facilities within the existing infrastructure or future aerodrome extensions and to reduce the overall costs.
