In fact, the inquiry took four years and the terminal is due to open in the Spring of 2008 with one
satellite. Completion will give a short breathing space for the central area to be redeveloped. The
case for Terminal 5 depended on increases in aircraft size rather than on more flights, but further
growth of Heathrow traffic after that will require the construction of the third runway. This has
been recommended by the UK government, subject to EU environmental regulations being
satisfied, but will still have to go through an exhaustive planning inquiry.
1.2 STANDARDS
1.2.1 ICAO Legislation
Safety is the overriding requirement in aviation. Standardisation is one of the means to achieve it.
In the case of airports, it is standardisation of facilities, ground equipment and procedures. The
only justification for differences is to match the types of aircraft that may be expected to use the
airports. It is, of course, necessary for the standards to be appropriate and to be agreed by the
aviation community.
Although attempts to reach agreement had been made much earlier, the need to agree common
requirements for airports used by air carriers became more pressing after World War II. In
compliance with Article 37 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation in Chicago in1944,
the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) adopted Annex 14-Aerodromes to the
Convention on 29th May 1951. Annex 14 provides the required set of standards for aerodromes
used by international air transport. The Annex contains information for planning, designing and
operating airports. With the developments in aircraft technology described in the previous section,
together with the consequent changes to airports, Annex 14 has been regularly amended and
supplemented. Particular Amendments were in the majority of cases approved at sessions of the
respective specialist ICAO conference on Aerodromes, Air Routes and Ground Aids (AGA).
Each of the ICAO member states may propose a supplement or amendment to an Annex through
its aviation authority. The proposal is usually assessed or further examined by a panel of experts.
Each of the member states may nominate its experts to the panel. Within ICAO there are panels
that have been dedicated to several specific issues for a long time, e.g.:
AWOP All Weather Operations Panel–issues of operations under restricted meteorological
conditions
VAP Visual Aids Panel–visual aids of airports
OCP Obstacle Clearance Panel