Improving aviation safety through airport design

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In order to protect and guarantee the safe operation of aircraft, airports are designed to safety standards that include virtual surfaces emanating from the runways to its surroundings. Such surfaces, which often extend beyond the airport property, are meant to be the upper limit for obstacles protruding from the ground, thus providing a protected space for aircraft flying above and near the airport. The existing airport design standards applied in Canada are based on those by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), of which Canada is a state member. Historically, Canada has had a leading role at ICAO, not only by hosting it - ICAO's headquarters are located in Montreal, QC - but also by providing significant technical contributions to the development of ICAO standards. ICAO's airport design standards were first developed in the 1940's, with Annex 14 to the Chicago Convention being published in 1951. Since then, it has undergone several reviews and ammendments, and it is now in its fourth edition. However, most of those standards are still based on the aircraft technology that existed in the 1940's. Since then, not only has that technology evolved, but also airports have seen a manyfold increase in demand and have been surrounded by cities, making it extremely difficult and expensive to expand. This research will evaluate the current validity and applicability of the existing standards for airport design, suggesting new standards where the existing ones are found to be inadequate for aircraft currently in service. The expected results are airport design standards that maintain or improve the current level of safety in aircraft operations, while allowing for a more efficient use of land in and around airport property.