Aviation’s best kept secret: Have you heard of aerodrome safeguarding?

For the uninitiated, safeguarding of aerodromes is the process used to ensure the safety of aircraft while taking off and landing or flying in the vicinity of aerodromes. ICAO and EASA regulations set out the requirement for aerodrome safeguarding.

Within the UK this process is enshrined in the Town and Country Planning Act through planning circulars. While all aerodromes are recommended to establish consultation procedures with the local planning authority (LPA), some aerodromes are officially safeguarded on the basis of their importance to the national air transport system, meaning safeguarding at those airports is a legal requirement. Within the UK, the implementation of this is overseen by the CAA.