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ICAO says Airbus A380 is “Code F” aircraft but can land on Code E runways
The International Civil Aviation Organisation confirmed this week that the Airbus A380 is categorized as a Code F aeroplane. It is permissible to operate an A380 regularly on a Code E runway, ICAO said “but only if approved by the appropriate authorities through the conduct of a compatibility study”.
“The Airbus A380 is currently categorised as a Code 4F aeroplane based on its reference field length, wingspan and outer main gear wheel span,” said Anthony Philbin, Chief of Communications in the Office of the ICAO Secretary General. For aeroplanes in this category, Annex 14—Aerodromes, Volume I—Aerodrome Design and Operations requires certain infrastructure to be provided in accordance with a Code 4F runway.”
“It is also permissible to operate an A380 regularly on a Code E runway, but only if approved by the appropriate authorities through the conduct of a compatibility study,” Mr Philbin said. “Such studies often include safety and risk assessments resulting in the development of alternative measures, operational procedures and operating restrictions that could, while preserving safety, allow aerodromes that do not meet the relevant Annex criteria to accommodate the A380. States, however, ultimately remain responsible for deciding what is acceptable as a measure, procedure or restriction.
“It is important to bear in mind that these operational measures do not substitute nor circumvent the design provisions in the Annex,” Mr Philbin said. “It is expected that for the A380 to be able to operate fully without restrictions, airport infrastructure meeting Code F requirements should be provided in full on all relevant parts of the movement area whenever new construction, major developments and when a greenfield aerodrome is being planned.”
The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) said the Airport and Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (AASL) had conducted such a compatibility study. A Right to Information application was filed with CAASL on Thursday to obtain the report on which basis it granted approval for A380 landings at BIA. The Authority is yet to acknowledge receipt of the RTI application.
The latest Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) for BIA issued by the CAASL states that: “According to a compatibility study conducted by Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited (AASL), BIA satisfies the physical characteristics requirements for A380 Operations on Code-E Aerodromes.”
The Sunday Times wrote to ICAO to clarify the position regarding A380 operations on Code E runways before Emirates made a one-off landing of the world’s largest passenger aircraft at BIA. Emirates is the biggest buyer of A380s and said in a press release that the event signalled that BIA was “A380 ready”.
The BIA runway underwent a US$50mn renovation this year but is still of 45m width, with just the shoulders on either side extended to 15m (each). AASL earlier claimed it was now a “modified Code F” runway, a terminology that does not exist anywhere in aviation or aerodrome parlance. It later admitted—after an expose by the Sunday Times—that the runway was still Code E.
It is not clear how much knowledge Sri Lanka’s ministers have in the sphere of airport compatibility. Defending BIA capabilities in April, Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Asoka Abeysinghe told media four-engine aircrafts such as A380 earlier took off from BIA with two of their engines turned off—only switching them on once airborne. This, he said, would no longer be necessary as BIA was now geared to handle A380 operations. It was never explained from where he acquired this information. It is impossible for four-engine aeroplanes to launch with two of their engines dead.
Asked if there were risks associated with A380 landings on Code E runways, Mr Philbin said: “Yes”. “However,” he added, “States and aerodrome operators are encouraged to mitigate such risks on the basis of their experience, operational judgement, and an analysis of hazards identified through appropriate compatibility studies as noted above. ICAO encourages these studies to be reviewed periodically to assess their continued validity.”
ICAO Doc 9981, Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS)–Aerodromes, contains the necessary procedures to mitigate risks which include a lack of required runway and taxiway widths, shoulders, strips, and separation distances, among others.
The Airbus company, headquartered in France, also said the A380 is classified as a Code F aircraft as per ICAO Annex 14. “However, Airbus has certified the A380 to land and take off on 45m runways (Code E), said Stefan Schaffrath, Head of Media Relations for Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “Building on that, Code E airports can demonstrate to their local authorities that A380 operation is safe, reflecting their specific infrastructure environment.” This includes being compatible with the A380 wingspan.
Airbus, whose mandate is to sell as many of their aircrafts as possible, also said, “There are no risks when Code E airports have demonstrated to their local authorities that A380 operation is safe, reflecting their specific infrastructure environment.”