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ASSEMBLY — 42ND SESSION

Agenda Item 24: Aviation Safety and Air Navigation Priority Initiatives

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REVISED ANNEX 14 VOLUME 1 STANDARDS AND

(Presented by Singapore)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This paper updates the Assembly on the progress regarding the revised ICAO Annex 14 — Aerodromes,
Volume I — Aerodrome Design and Operations, Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) on
obstacle limitation surface (OLS), and the initiatives by ICAO to support States in their implementation
of the revised OLS SARPs.
The revised OLS SARPs were adopted by the ICAO Council on 28 March 2025, following a review of
the OLS SARPs that spanned a decade since 2015. These revisions became effective on 4 August 2025
and will become applicable to all States from 21 November 2030.
The ICAO OLS Task Force comprises subject matter experts from States and international
organisations, with the Rapporteur from Singapore. The ICAO Secretariat and the Task Force are
developing implementation support initiatives to facilitate States in transiting to the revised OLS
SARPs.
Action: The Assembly is invited to:
a) note ICAO’s initiatives to support States in their implementation of the revised Annex 14, Volume
1, OLS SARPs by the applicability date of 21 November 2030;
b) urge States to fully utilise ICAO’s implementation support initiatives, and to implement the revised
OLS SARPs at the earliest opportunity;
c) encourage States to identify and inform ICAO of the types of additional support that States may
require to implement the revised OLS SARPs; and
d) urge the ICAO Secretariat to consider additional implementation support as required by States, and
to provide regular updates at Category 1 and 2 ICAO events on States’ implementation status.
Strategic This working paper relates to Every Flight is Safe and Secure.
Goals:
Financial No additional resources required.
implications:
References: Annex 14 — Aerodromes, Volume I — Aerodrome Design and Operations
Doc 9981, Procedures for Air Navigation Services Aerodromes (PANS) — Aerodromes
Doc 9137, Airport Services Manual, Part 6 – Control of Obstacles
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1. BACKGROUND

1.1 The 38th ICAO Assembly in 2013 called for a significant review of the
Annex 14-Aerodromes obstacle limitation surface (OLS) Standards and Recommended Practices
(SARPs). In 2015, an ICAO OLS Task Force (OLSTF) was established and assigned the task of
reviewing the effectiveness of the existing SARPs, given that the requirements were established in the
1950s, and to address the growing pressure faced by States to intensify land developments around their
aerodromes. It comprises subject matter experts from ICAO member States and
International Organisations1.

2. ICAO’S REVISION OF THE OLS SARPS IN ANNEX 14 TO THE

2.1 The objective of ICAO OLSTF’s review is to ensure that the OLS SARPs stipulated in
Annex 14 Volume 1 – Aerodromes Design and Operations are effective in protecting airspace around an
aerodrome against obstacles that could potentially affect aviation safety. As part of the review, the
OLSTF took into account technological advancements in navigation equipment capabilities and aircraft
avionics as well as the emergence of modern instrument flight procedures.

2.2 The OLSTF also took into account the fact that the “one size fits all” concept on which
the current OLS requirements are based, no longer addresses the various types of aircraft and flight
operations conducted at aerodromes, and may not be reasonable to be enforced in a uniform manner on all
aerodromes. To enable more effective safeguarding of surfaces surrounding aerodromes, as well as the
ability to free up airspace not required for aircraft operations for non-aviation uses such as land
development, the review also sought to give States the ability to decide on the surfaces to adopt based on
the type of operations at each aerodrome.

2.3 Following thorough reviews spanning over a decade, the OLSTF developed a set of
revised Annex 14, Volume 1, OLS SARPs (“revised OLS SARPs”) which require less airspace to
safeguard aircraft operations, while still ensuring aviation and air navigation safety (see the Appendix to
this paper for an illustration of the differences in airspace required to safeguard aircraft operations
between the existing and revised surfaces). The reviews involved analysing flight track data to determine
the containment surfaces needed to safeguard aircraft operations to the runway. Surfaces were classified
into either obstacle free surfaces (OFS) or obstacle evaluation surfaces (OES), which collectively ensure
that no objects that could affect aviation safety are unaccounted for. The OFS are surfaces closer to the
runway which are critical for aircraft in the final phase of approach to land. The OES, on the other hand,
are surfaces intended to protect the flight procedures and operations conducted at the runway. To ensure a
holistic review of the OLS SARPs, the OLSTF also worked with ICAO’s Flight Operations Panel and
Instrument Flight Procedure Panel and took into account input from international organisations such as
International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA), Airports Council
International (ACI), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Federation of Air
Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA). States were consulted via ICAO State Letter AN 4/1.1.58-23/33
dated 30 May 2023.

2.4 The revised OLS SARPs, which were adopted by the ICAO Council on 28 March 2025,
became effective on 4 August 2025 and will become applicable to all States on 21 November 2030.

1
OLSTF members are: (States) Australia, Austria, Brazil, People’s Republic of China, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Republic of Korea, Spain, United States, and the United Kingdom; (International Organisations) ACI, European Union Aviation
Safety Agency, IATA, IFALPA, and ICCAIA.
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3. SINGAPORE’S IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REVISED OLS SARPS

3.1 Singapore has embarked on the implementation of the revised OLS SARPs. The overall
implementation process involves five phases, with significant resources required for interagency
coordination and cross-sectoral work. Singapore’s implementation phases, which proceeded concurrently,
are as follows:

Phases Activities
Planning (1) Determine the type of operations conducted at each aerodrome based on
current and future operational needs;
(2) Identify the revised surfaces required to protect current and future
operations, including potential aerodrome expansions; and
(3) Identify affected stakeholders and develop an engagement plan.
Application (1) Adapt the surfaces to national requirements, including to account for any
airspace restrictions such as those due to military operations, local operating
conditions and the existing obstacle environment within and around the
aerodromes.
Template (1) Develop a composite height template for all affected aerodromes comprising
development the applicable surfaces at each aerodrome based on the revised OLS SARPs
and applicable national requirements; and
(2) In areas where surfaces overlap, to determine the more limiting surface.
Communication (1) Socialise the expected changes arising from the revised OLS SARPs to
various stakeholders, including aerodrome operators, and land use planning
and infrastructure agencies;
(2) Share the implementation plan and key milestones with stakeholders; and
(3) Manage queries and feedback from stakeholders.
Legislative (1) Identify affected national legislation;
amendments (2) Prepare amended national legislation;
(3) Consult stakeholders; and
(4) Publish amended national legislation.

4. ICAO’S IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT FOR STATES

4.1 The changes to Annex 14, Volume 1, OLS SARPs require a paradigm shift in how States
understand and apply the OLS, and States may therefore require assistance from ICAO to transition
towards the new Annex 14 requirements.

4.2 The ICAO Secretariat has worked with the OLSTF through its Rapporteur to identify and
develop training, aids, and programs to assist States’ transition. As a result, a dedicated ICAO course on
the revised OLS, a website on OLS implementation and other initiatives that help ease the generation of
the revised OLS surfaces at their aerodromes have been developed. ICAO will roll out the OLS training
course2 and work with the respective regional offices to arrange for webinars and workshops in the
coming months.

2
The first run of the OLS training course is scheduled for December 2025. A similar workshop was also conducted by the ICAO
APRO from 2 to 5 September 2025. Similar workshops are being planned for the other regional offices.
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4.3 States are also encouraged to share their implementation plans and challenges faced in
applying the revised OLS SARPs. This information can then be accessed, through a common ICAO
platform, by other States to support their implementation of the revised OLS SARPs. Through such
sharing, ICAO will be able to calibrate its transition efforts to support the implementation of the revised
OLS SARPs in a more targeted manner.

4.4 Due to the effort and resources needed by States to implement the revised OLS SARPs,
ICAO has determined that a longer transition period of 5 years is warranted. It is expected that States may
require support to transition to the revised OLS SARPs by the applicability date of 21 November 2030. In
this regard, it is recommended that States identify and inform ICAO of the types of additional support that
they would need in the course of implementation. To support timely implementation of the revised OLS
SARPs by States, the ICAO Secretariat is also urged to partner States by developing additional
implementation support initiatives as required and providing regular updates at Category 1 and 2 ICAO
events, including the next 43rd Assembly in 2028, on States’ implementation status and any additional
implementation support initiatives by ICAO.

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Appendix
English only

APPENDIX

ILLUSTRATION OF DIFFERENCES IN AIRSPACE REQUIRED TO SAFEGUARD

Chart 1: Along the runway

Chart 2: At the ends of the runway3

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