ACI has a strong commitment to ICAO to help maintain and improve the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in Annex 14 (Aerodromes) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This directly helps ACI members when ICAO SARPs are implemented by Civil Aviation Authorities.

To carry out this commitment in the design field, ACI contributes continuously to the Aerodrome Design Working Group (covering aerodrome layout and specifications) and the Visual Aids Working Group (covering lighting, markings and signs).

Recommendations of these working groups are submitted to the ICAO Aerodromes Panel, and may subsequently be incorporated into Annex 14, and the ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual and Airport Planning Manual.

ACI also works with other ICAO Panels involving design issues affecting airports and airport operators.

ACI made a significant contribution to the ICAO Circular on Operation of New Larger Airplanes (NLAs) at Existing Aerodromes, published in 2004, dealing in general with Operational Requirements for NLAs.

In the aerodrome design field, ICAO has agreed to conduct a comprehensive review of runway, taxiway and apron dimensions and specifications for all aerodrome reference codes (sizes of aircraft) from code letter A to F. ACI called for this review based on safety studies on New Large Aircraft that indicate that the present code F dimensions are not fully based on “state of the art” information and methodologies. The same may be true for smaller aircraft sizes. ACI hopes that this review may lead to reductions in some dimensions, and thus have a considerable effect in facilitating airport expansion projects. The study should send its conclusions to the Aerodromes Panel in late 2011.

Working with other partners

ACI takes part in the International Industry Working Group (IIWG), which deals with compatibility of new aircraft designs with airports. This group was established in September 1970 under the sponsorship of the Airport Associations Coordinating Council (now ACI), the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IIWG Objectives:

• To promote and develop the open exchange of information between the three parties with a view to minimizing interface problems through well-informed design, development and operation of both aircraft and airports. 
• To study jointly possible solutions to major airport/aircraft compatibility problems which appear to impede or are likely to impede the development of the air transport system. 
• To share information with a view to establishing a unified industry position on matters of common interest to two or more of the three parties. 
• To assist in developing and keeping up to date standard formats and content specifications for documents specifying aircraft characteristics, airport characteristics and future trends in aircraft and airport design.

Members of the International Industry Working Group are drawn from the aircraft and aero engine manufacturers, airlines and airports, representing their respective associations. Additionally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) are regular participants in the IIWG.

IIWG meets at approximately nine month intervals with the venue reflecting the range of representation (generally alternating between Europe and North America)

For more information, please contact David Gamper dgamper@aci.aero