lux-Airport receives Aerodrome Certification

This certification concludes a joint effort of nearly 4 years by all stakeholders at Luxembourg Airport to obtain the aerodrome certification. The certification process involved specialists from lux-Airport,  Administration de la navigation aérienne (ANA), Fire Department, Administration des ponts et chaussées, Luxair Airline, Luxair Handling, Luxair Cargo, Cargolux, Luxfuel and Luxembourg Air Rescue who worked intensively together to assist in the writing and verification of the thousands of pages of certification documents, procedures, safety studies and compliance statements. This was also made possible with the help of specialized consulting firms.

Proof had to be delivered on 1.075 infrastructure items, 188 items have to be rectified during the Runway renovation in 2019-2020. 677 organizational and operational requirements had to be fulfilled, and proof supplied that the airport is compliant. 3 major audits by the Civil Aviation Directorate took place in 2017: an initial appraisal in April to demonstrate the progress made, the certification audit in September and the verification audit in November. During the September audit, 61 findings and 25 observations were reported by the Authority. After the verification audit only 26 remained open, each one with an action plan attached with a deadline by which the finding will be closed. Over 3.000 files were created to demonstrate compliance with each of the requirements.

Some of the practical things that had to be done to meet the certification requirements included redesign and repainting of surface markings on aprons, taxiways and runway, adaptations and replacement of existing spotlights on the aprons, installation of new mobile light masts, removing several obstacles, complete resurfacing of the P2 apron, issuing of 2.400 new drivers licenses, introduction of a new airside safety course for all personnel, installation of a new airside inspection team to ensure that the procedures are respected, organizing drone flights with very high resolution cameras to record any damages to aprons, performing accurate measurements with specialized equipment to measure the bearing strength of aprons and taxiways and organizing flights with aircraft with very accurate measuring equipment to measure all obstacles around the airport with a precision of a few centimeters.

Over the coming years still a lot of work will have to be done. One of the major projects over the coming years will be the renewal of the runway, the taxiways and a number of aprons, during which also all lights will be replaced with LED technology, all signage panels will be replaced, the electrical systems and water evacuation network will be renewed, and approach lights and masts will be replaced with new units meeting the certification requirements.  For the infrastructure of the aerodrome, it was agreed with DAC that 64 non-compliances would be modified in the upcoming years while 12 non-compliances cannot be modified due to special local conditions. DAC will continuously oversee the implementation of these actions plans.

The certification process has helped to clarify the role and responsibility each actor has at Luxembourg Airport, and has clearly described who does what, how and when at the airport.

"Today’s handover of the aerodrome certificate to lux-Airport is the result of the hard work and excellent cooperation of a large number of people. Specialists, operators and organizations acting in and around the airport worked together on a laborious process with one common goal: improving the safety. This is most likely the biggest achievement of the certification and it will emphasize our one and only airport a perfect connectivity to the world", said François Bausch, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure.

Communiqué par le ministère du Développement durable et des Infrastructures