The Council of Ministers of Andorra (Pyrenees), prompted by the Minister of Economy and Business, Jordi Gallardo, has approved the regulation on Andorra’s aviation protection. It concerns the protection of areas of operation of aircraft which currently belong to the helipads.
The existing law on air navigation from 2000 establishes the basic rules aimed at protecting areas close to aircraft infrastructure as well as controlling the issue of flight safety. At the same time, the general rules of spatial and urban planning stipulate that all national air infrastructure systems are within the exclusive competence of the Andorran government.
The new regulation states that the Andorran Aviation Administration (“AAA”) is the competent authority for the control and supervision of flight operations and is responsible for ensuring the safety of operations carried out in the area of operation of the airfields.
In the text of the regulation, an airfield is defined as an infrastructure intended for the landing and take-off of an aircraft, and an obstacle is defined as any permanent or temporary object that exceeds a thirty-meter height. According to the rules, there will now be restrictions on the creation of new obstacles, as well as the removal of existing obstacles.
The laws also state that “actions that may provoke a risk to air traffic, such as the use of radio electronic means, and the creation of conditions that can cause turbulence, are subject to restrictions.” A restriction will also be imposed on the use of reflective surfaces, as well as other facilities, the use of which can cause deterioration of visibility and produce smoke.
The regulations stipulate that any changes concerning the aviation infrastructure must be approved by the government and published in BOPA, which also implies these changes to general construction plans. Thus, any changes that affect the locations in which aerodrome aeronautical requirements apply should be approved by the “AAA” and conclude that they do not jeopardize the safety and regularity of the aerodrome operation.
