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Summaries of EU Legislation

Safety regulation of aerodromes

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 – requirements and administrative procedures related to aerodromes

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It introduces requirements for managing, certifying and operating aerodromes* throughout the European Union (EU), which replace the existing national rules on aerodrome safety.

KEY POINTS

Oversight

Each EU Member State must designate a competent authority (or authorities) which:

  • has (or have) powers and responsibilities to certify and oversee aerodromes, their staff and the organisations involved;
  • is (or are) independent from aerodrome operators and providers of apron management services (AMS)*.

Staff authorised by the competent authority must have powers to perform at least the following tasks:

  • check records, data, procedures and any other material relevant to the execution of the certification and/or oversight task;
  • take away copies of or extracts from those materials;
  • ask for an oral explanation on-site;
  • enter aerodromes, relevant premises, operating sites or other relevant areas and means of transport;
  • perform audits, investigations, tests, exercises, assessments and inspections;
  • take or initiate enforcement measures as appropriate.

European Aviation Safety Agency

  • Under Regulation (EC) No 1108/2009, the responsibilities of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) were extended to cover aerodromes.
  • Within 3 months of the application of Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 (the subject of this summary), Member States were required to inform EASA, for the aerodromes to which the rules laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1108/2009 and in this regulation apply, of:

Exemptions

  • Member States may exempt from the rules of Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 an aerodrome which handles no more than:
    • 10,000 passengers per year,
    • 850 movements related to cargo operations per year.
  • However, they must examine the traffic figures of an exempted aerodrome on a yearly basis.

Certificates

  • The regulation contains rules regarding the conversion of certificates issued before 31 December 2014, under national rules, for a transitional period up until 31 December 2017.
  • Until 31 December 2024, competent authorities may accept applications for a certificate, including deviations from the certification specifications issued by EASA, if certain technical conditions cited in the regulation’s annexes are met. In such cases, the competent authorities must compile evidence that those conditions are met in a deviation acceptance and action document (DAAD), which must be attached to the certificate.
  • The competent authority must specify the period of validity of the DAAD and can amend, suspend or withdraw the DAAD in the event that the conditions are no longer met.

Aerodrome operations

  • To ensure the safety levels of aerodrome operations, data quality requirements have to be completed at the operations level.
  • Additional requirements set out in a delegated act, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1234, have been incorporated into Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 and have applied since 20 March 2022. These concern aerodromes and organisations providing AMS and include:
    • competent authorities’ powers regarding the declarations of capability submitted by AMS-providing organisations;
    • requirements for AMS-providing organisations regarding safety management, operational procedures and personnel;
    • requirements for managing safety-related interfaces between the aerodrome operator, the organisations responsible for providing AMS and the air traffic service provider with regard to operations on the apron.

Runways

  • Annex I to the regulation was amended by Regulation (EU) 2018/401. The amendments reflect changes adopted by the ICAO designed to simplify the existing runway approach classification and more accurately describe the various types of approach and landing operations.
  • To reduce the number of runway-safety-related accidents and serious incidents involving runway incursions, as well as other runway-safety-related events, Annex I was further amended by a delegated act, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2148. It seeks to implement the applicable ICAO standards and recommended practices on runway surface condition assessment and reporting, including adding definitions of new terms.

Aerodrome surroundings

Member States must ensure:

  • that consultations take place on the safety impacts of proposed constructions:
    • within the limits of the obstacle limitation* and obstacle protection* surfaces, as well as other surfaces associated with the aerodrome,
    • beyond the limits of the obstacle limitation and obstacle protection surfaces, as well as other surfaces associated with the aerodrome and which exceed the height set by Member States;
  • that they coordinate the safeguarding of aerodromes located near borders with other Member States;
  • that consultations are conducted with regard to human activities and land use such as:
    • developments which may create obstacle-induced turbulence that could be hazardous to aircraft operations,
    • the use of hazardous, confusing and misleading lights,
    • the use of highly reflective surfaces which may cause dazzling,
    • activities that may interfere with the performance of aeronautical communications, navigation and surveillance systems.

Wildlife hazard management

Member States must:

  • have procedures for recording and reporting wildlife strikes to aircraft;
  • collect information from aircraft operators, aerodrome personnel and other sources on the presence of wildlife constituting a potential hazard to aircraft operations;
  • ensure wildlife hazards are evaluated on an ongoing basis by authorised personnel; and
  • collect and forward wildlife strike reports to the ICAO for inclusion in the ICAO bird strike information system.

Requirements for all-weather operations

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/208, which lays down rules on implementing all-weather operations at aerodromes, amends the regulation’s Annexes I, III and IV.

Information security risks with a potential impact on aviation safety

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 sets out requirements on aerodrome operators and AMS providers for managing information security risks with a potential impact on aviation safety. It applies from 16 October 2025.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 has applied since 6 March 2014.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

KEY TERMS

Aerodrome. A defined area (including any buildings, installations and equipment) on land or water, or on a fixed offshore or floating structure, intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure and surface movement of aircraft.
Apron management services. The body overseen by a competent authority which provides services managing the activities and the movement of aircraft and vehicles on an apron – a defined area intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers, mail or cargo; fuelling; parking; or maintenance.
Obstacle limitation surface. A surface that defines the limits to which objects may project into the airspace.
Obstacle protection surface. A surface established for visual approach slope indicator system above which objects or extensions of existing objects shall not be permitted except when, in the opinion of the appropriate authority, the new object or extension would be shielded by an existing immovable object.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 of 12 February 2014 laying down requirements and administrative procedures related to aerodromes pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 44, 14.2.2014, pp. 1–34).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 of 14 July 2022 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards requirements for the management of information security risks with a potential impact on aviation safety for organisations covered by Commission Regulations (EU) No 748/2012 and (EU) No 139/2014 and amending Commission Regulations (EU) No 748/2012 and (EU) No 139/2014 (OJ L 248, 26.9.2022, pp. 18–31).

Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, pp. 1–122).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EC) No 1108/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 in the field of aerodromes, air traffic management and air navigation services and repealing Directive 2006/23/EC (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, pp. 51–70).

last update 28.10.2022

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