The use of military aerodromes by civil aircraft

ICAOICAO

Aerodrome Safety Workshop

Almaty, Kazakhstan – 18 to 22 November 2002

The use of military aerodromes by civil aircraft

Aerodrome Safety Workshop - Almaty, Kazakhstan - 18 to 22 November 2002 2

Introduction (1)

Area of common interest of States A harmonised approach would be beneficial in

order to improve the level of safety The words “military aerodromes” also include

government owned facilities not regulated by CAA

Two different branches of administration with two different and conflicting sets of objectives and regulations

There is no evidence that military aerodromes have a worse safety record


Introduction (2)Introduction (2)

The civil use of military aerodromes is small in comparison with the volume of civil aerodrome operations

There are persistent and delicate safety issues associated with the civil use of military aerodromes that need to be addressed and may require safety regulation solutions


AimAim

The purpose of this lecture is:

to examine some aspects of the use of military aerodromes from a CAA viewpoint

to identify areas of regulatory difficulty to highlight potential vulnerabilities to recommend solutions


Current position (1)Current position (1)

Civil aviation is based on interdependence of the ICAO SARPS

These SARPS do not differentiate between various ownerships

Annex 14 shall apply to all aerodromes open for civil aviation

The standards should be the same !!!



Compliance with the SARPS of ICAO Annex 14 varies among States

From full compliance to sometimes no compliance

Also there is a lack of visibility and traceability in the regulatory process

Even when standards are similar, interpretation may differ due to the different culture



For some operations military regulations are more demanding (FOD, access control)

Military aerodromes are designed to meet national or other requirements

They are often optimised for fighter operations rather than large aircraft



Military aerodromes can be divided into three categories, depending on the level of civil involvement:

Strictly military aerodromes- managed and operated by a military organisation

Military aerodromes with commercial air transport infrastructure and operations- part of the aerodrome is dedicated to commercial operations

Joint aerodromes- regular civil aerodrome with scheduled passenger operations coexists with a military aerodrome


Potential safety issues (1)Potential safety issues (1)

There are two safety regulation problems: military aerodromes that do not meet civil

standards military aerodromes that are not accountable to

CAA

There are three areas with potential safety issues: design aerodrome operations (incl. ATM & CNS) accountability


Discussion Discussion

The problem is approached by considering the parties involved, their responsibilities and interests:Military authorities commanding the aerodromeCivil operatorsCAA AGA/ATM DivisionsCAA OPS DivisionMilitary aviation authority/flight safety authorityPublic interest/opinionCivil aerodrome operatorsGovernment


Parties involved (1)Parties involved (1)

Military authorities: are not accountable to CAA by accepting civil use may have committed

themselves legally to offer some minimum safety level

in case of an accident caused by negligence or failure to meet the standards, may be found responsible in civil court

usually benefit both economically and operationally from civil use (interest)

some civil operations may be vital



The civil operators: are often bound by OPS requirements to define

the safety level of the military aerodrome in Operations Manuals

are expected to specify requirement for RFF and visual aids effecting minima

the fact that other facilities do not meet the requirements may not be an important issue

if an accident is caused because the aerodrome did not meet the standards, the aircraft operator is not necessarily responsible



CAA AGA/ATM/OPS Divisions: are responsible for the safety regulation and

inspecting of civil aerodromes and normally for the civil part of military aerodromes

this jurisdiction is given in national legislation if military aerodromes are not exempted

specifically from licensing this may imply that the CAA has responsibility and powers

in the case of foreign operators violating common operating regulations, CAA OPS can inform their counterpart in the State of the operator



The military aviation authority/flight safety authority:

is the military counterpart of CAA

is expected to understand the issues of civil use of military aerodromes

often has powers to require corrections of the deficiencies endangering the operations



Public interest/opinion:

often sees a military aerodrome as an under-utilised asset

a local community may regard the military aerodrome as its civil aerodrome

the community often acquires funds for the development

military aerodromes are often seen as a partial solution to the capacity problems at larger airports



The civil organisation operating

on a military aerodrome:

may have similar responsibilities to operators of civil aerodromes

the civil part should be certified and there are regulations to that end



The Government: is at least responsible for approval of

instrument approach procedures and contents of AIP’s

is empowered to determine for which type of air services an aerodrome may be used for civil operations

of some contracting States restrict operations to only aerodromes that conform to Annex 14 regulations

may have to subsidise the aerodrome investment and operating costs


Options (1)Options (1)

Any military aerodrome offering its services to civil aviation should be licensed and all facilities should be approved by CAA

- legislative amendments may be required

Without legislative change, the military cannot be obliged to accept a civilian aerodrome operator

- the CAA could open the discussion and take appropriate actions


Options (2)Options (2) If a comprehensive solution is not possible, military

aerodromes could be transferred to civil operations on a case-by-case basis- voluntary co-operation might be the way to proceed

As there are many parties interested in continuing civil use, parties could find a solution. CAA is the appropriate body to initiate. A key to this is financing

An alternative is to leave the situation unchanged, based on the premise that the military authorities have responsibility for meeting Annex 14 requirements in relation to civil aviation


Conclusions (1)Conclusions (1)

Currently many military aerodromes do not meet civilian standards

The military authorities are not normally accountable to CAA

This situation contravenes some basic principles of the safety regulation of civil aviation


Conclusions (2)Conclusions (2)

The situation could be resolved by requiring certification and accountability to CAA

Where this is not possible other options should be considered:- make available only those aerodromes that meet Annex 14 requirements- have audited and identified differences- certification by the military as equivalent to civil standards

When comprehensive solutions are not possible use different partial solutions to alleviate pressing problems


RecommendationsRecommendations

It is recommended that States:

review, and where necessary redefine, their policy on the use of government aerodromes

determine how best to address safety and liability concerns using the outlined options

formulate and introduce legislative amendments, if required, to implement that policy

The use of military aerodromes by civil aircraft

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