Challenge: Define 'airside'
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: East Anglia
Challenge: Define 'airside'
Guys, I am having some (read lots) difficulty in ascertaining where the airside boundary should be drawn. This issue has been raised wrt motor insurance for privately owned vehicles in the UK. Any pointers to an authoritative document would be appreciated, I have tried trawling the CAPs but on the particular aspect I am interested in they seem vague (or I am being a thicky thick person)
Joined: May 2013
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From: have I forgotten or am I lost?
airside.
anywhere within the perimeter fence around the operations area of an airfield
why is it so hard to understand this?
my plain english explanation btw. I have no idea how it is defined in the regs or even if it is defined.
anywhere within the perimeter fence around the operations area of an airfield
why is it so hard to understand this?
my plain english explanation btw. I have no idea how it is defined in the regs or even if it is defined.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: East Anglia
Thanks to those who have responded.
I had hoped that the Safety professionals here would be able to provide at least a pointer. I find it disturbing that there is no clear delineation between 'airside' and 'not airside'.
I had hoped that the Safety professionals here would be able to provide at least a pointer. I find it disturbing that there is no clear delineation between 'airside' and 'not airside'.
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Timbukthree
airside - definition of airside by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
from wikipedia:
Airports are divided into landside and airside areas. Landside areas include parking lots, public transportation train stations and access roads. Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including runways, taxiways and ramps. Access from landside areas to airside areas is tightly controlled at most airports.
from Dictionary.com:
air·side
[air-sahyd] Show IPA
noun 1. the part of an airport used by aircraft for loading and unloading and takeoffs and landings.
2. the area beyond security checks and passport and customs control in an airport terminal.
from wikipedia:
Airports are divided into landside and airside areas. Landside areas include parking lots, public transportation train stations and access roads. Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including runways, taxiways and ramps. Access from landside areas to airside areas is tightly controlled at most airports.
from Dictionary.com:
air·side
[air-sahyd] Show IPA
noun 1. the part of an airport used by aircraft for loading and unloading and takeoffs and landings.
2. the area beyond security checks and passport and customs control in an airport terminal.
Joined: May 2007
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From: Europe
Airside is the other side of the burly chap asking for your airside Pass, who will also require you to go through a scanner as well as anything you are carrying.
That's in a building where there is a landside and an airside; terminal, obviously, but also hangars, ATC facilities, sometimes even the RFFS building has a landside area. There are others, but I can't think of them.
Outside, the manoeuvering area (runway, aprons, parking areas, taxiways etc) is all airside, the Customs area is all airside, anywhere inside the security fence (aka boundary, probably) is airside. Public access areas are landside.
The airside/landside barrier is defined and drawn at any airport for every single metre of its route around the airside. It is management's job to make sure that it is impenetrable except through manned access points. That means any gap, say between buildings, of even a few centimetres must be blocked up. It is a criminal offence to enter the airside of an airport without permission of the airport authority; this is one reason why it is so carefully defined. The other is Security, of course; the heavies need to know when you cross the dead-line, otherwise they might shoot you by mistake.
That's in a building where there is a landside and an airside; terminal, obviously, but also hangars, ATC facilities, sometimes even the RFFS building has a landside area. There are others, but I can't think of them.
Outside, the manoeuvering area (runway, aprons, parking areas, taxiways etc) is all airside, the Customs area is all airside, anywhere inside the security fence (aka boundary, probably) is airside. Public access areas are landside.
The airside/landside barrier is defined and drawn at any airport for every single metre of its route around the airside. It is management's job to make sure that it is impenetrable except through manned access points. That means any gap, say between buildings, of even a few centimetres must be blocked up. It is a criminal offence to enter the airside of an airport without permission of the airport authority; this is one reason why it is so carefully defined. The other is Security, of course; the heavies need to know when you cross the dead-line, otherwise they might shoot you by mistake.
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From: Wor Yerm
I know Kitbag's problem. Some years ago my insurance company declined to offer me insurance because of my profession. These clowns believed that I might possibly bump into a large aircraft and lumber them with an unpleasant claim. But you can not argue with idiots like this, even with fact. Unfortunately, airports use legislation like the Aviation and Maritime Security Act to give themselves undeserved powers to chase down errant motorists who try to avoid greedy parking charges - this leads half-witted underwriters into believing 'airside' is wherever this act applies. My advice would be to change your insurance company.
Thread Starter
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From: East Anglia
Many thanks to all, I think LFAJ has the most sensible answer, however I suspect that rather like this forum it will depend upon which company is asked as to the answer I receive. I had hoped that there was a straightforward delineation of the two areas recognised by CAA or similar body.
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From: Tr_no 688
I had hoped that the Safety professionals here would be able to provide at least a pointer. I find it disturbing that there is no clear delineation between 'airside' and 'not airside'.
It might not be enclosing the same areas in every aerodrome (that is a matter for the owner operator), but it is always defined
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From: Bradd
Airside/Landside boundary
When we were putting our TSP together OTS defined airside as any point on the airport with unimpeded access to the movement or manoeuvring area. FYI that included inside a hangar with the door open.
Pretty simple really.
Pretty simple really.
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From: Wor Yerm
Here is Schiphol's definition:
That part of the airport area used for aircraft landings, take-offs, taxiing, towing, parking and handling, including the perimeter and service roads and related other paved and unpaved areas, and for which specific authorisation on the Schiphol Pass or a Crew ID card is required.
Dos that help?
That part of the airport area used for aircraft landings, take-offs, taxiing, towing, parking and handling, including the perimeter and service roads and related other paved and unpaved areas, and for which specific authorisation on the Schiphol Pass or a Crew ID card is required.
Dos that help?
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: London, UK
"It is anywhere that a member of the public is not allowed without a boarding card, the car won't even get close to that."
But it's more nuanced than that - isn't it. I have driven my car (or more pedantically, a rental car which I had a contract for) to an aircraft at a major UK airport. I did not have a boarding pass. I'm not going to spell out the full circumstances, as most on this forum will understand how and why that was possible/permitted.
It has come as a major shock to me (based on the other insurance question thread) that I probably didn't have insurance cover while I was airside (even if we haven't been able to fully define what airside is).
But it's more nuanced than that - isn't it. I have driven my car (or more pedantically, a rental car which I had a contract for) to an aircraft at a major UK airport. I did not have a boarding pass. I'm not going to spell out the full circumstances, as most on this forum will understand how and why that was possible/permitted.
It has come as a major shock to me (based on the other insurance question thread) that I probably didn't have insurance cover while I was airside (even if we haven't been able to fully define what airside is).
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From: UK/OZ
If I recall, in the UK it started when a catering(?) truck hit a 747 at Heathrow about 15 years ago.
All of a sudden my camera crew vehicle insurance had an exclusion clause…
A right pain as we then had to cart our crane and lighting kit through hangers.
Insurers then stung production companies for airside cover which then allowed our vehicle aside, I used to have two cigarette lighter powered magnetic amber hazard beacons to look the part
However these days it is more difficult to get a private vehicle airside at large airports.
When rigging helicopters at large airports there is usually a line outside the hangar door that for the purposes of needing a security pass at least, is deemed "airside".
Step over the line without high vis and a pass and you are in strife.
In oz the door from reception into the hangar is meant to be controlled with contractors and visitors needing a company pass.
All good stuff to stop the uninitiated wandering outside the hangar and god forbid a nutter in a van.
I was on a shoot when a production assistant doing an early morning coffee run drove her red mini across the runway at Biggin Hill just as it became active.
All of a sudden my camera crew vehicle insurance had an exclusion clause…
A right pain as we then had to cart our crane and lighting kit through hangers.
Insurers then stung production companies for airside cover which then allowed our vehicle aside, I used to have two cigarette lighter powered magnetic amber hazard beacons to look the part
However these days it is more difficult to get a private vehicle airside at large airports.
When rigging helicopters at large airports there is usually a line outside the hangar door that for the purposes of needing a security pass at least, is deemed "airside".
Step over the line without high vis and a pass and you are in strife.
In oz the door from reception into the hangar is meant to be controlled with contractors and visitors needing a company pass.
All good stuff to stop the uninitiated wandering outside the hangar and god forbid a nutter in a van.
I was on a shoot when a production assistant doing an early morning coffee run drove her red mini across the runway at Biggin Hill just as it became active.
Avoid imitations
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
If I recall, in the UK it started when a catering(?) truck hit a 747 at Heathrow about 15 years ago.
I had an issue over this subject with my insurance company in 1990.
I was RAF aircrew (declared on the proposal document) and changed car insurance companies. The company kept sending me monthly cover notes instead of the expected policy booklet and certificate. After five months of me pestering them (!) the policy document arrived and it stated "The policy shall not be operative if the vehicle is driven in, on, or around any aviation location".
I immediately got in touch with them to clarify what this meant. It meant that as far as they were concerned, once I turned off the main road onto the camp I wasn't even covered driving to work! When I pointed out that they had accepted the proposal and my money for five months without informing me of this lack of cover they declared my policy void.
I had to buy new insurance but was very pedantic about emphasised where I was driving to!
So be very careful of the wording and if in doubt, clarify directly with the company - and get it in writing, of course!
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: London
UK DfT define the CPSRA or 'Airside/Landside' boundary as one that separates restricted and unrestricted access to members of the public within an airport perimeter whereby access to the Security Restricted Area is strictly controlled.
