The Airports Authority of India, (AAI) on August 10, 2023, issued the Circular regarding the Review of the periodicity of the OLS survey
This circular is valid from August 10, 2023 and will remain valid till it is amended or withdrawn or incorporated in the Aeronautical Survey Manual.
The following has been stated namely: -
• This Circular aims to communicate the revised requirement for conducting full (detailed) OLS Survey and Check Survey (limited Area Survey) for all the civil aerodrome operators (as per Aeronautical Survey Manual para 1.7) and requirement of the private and state-owned aerodrome operators for Verification & Validation of Surveyed data from AAI
• This Circular shall be applicable to all civil Aerodromes including AAI, private, and those owned by the State Governments.
• It states that the requirement of the survey shall be as follows namely: -
(i) Full (detailed) survey [as per Aeronautical Survey Manual para 1.7.1 & 1.7.21
a) The procedures for a full survey include the geodetic connections of the airport, airport facilities including navigation aids, and obstacle survey of obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) within 20 km around the airport.
b) Full (detailed) survey shall be conducted at the initial commissioning of the aerodrome and thereafter it is required to get an airport resurveyed after every 4 years for IFR and 5 years for VFR airports
(ii) Check Survey [as per Aeronautical Survey Manual para1.7.3]
a) Check survey is to identify any changes in the aerodrome layout such as addition/modifications of new stands, shifting of threshold or holding positions, new locations/trans-installation of nav. aids, addition, or removal of obstacles including significant tree growth or reduction, since the previous survey.
b) The check surveys may also be conducted on the specific request of the Airport Director/Airport Operator whenever the commissioning of a new facility [i.e. parking stand, new or displaced threshold, nav-aids, etc) at the airport is needed for the purpose of certification.
c) Check survey may be restricted to a particular area of the aerodrome or to a particular runway in case of any extension.
d) Check survey may also be conducted if the operations from a particular runway need to be upgraded, i.e. non-instrument to the instrument, or, non-precision to precision.
e) All Check Survey requirements shall be communicated by Airport Director /Airport operator to Survey & Cartography section, AAI, CHQ.
[Circular No. GIS CIRCULAR 01/2023]
