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Aviation operations are pointedly underpinned by the uncompromising compliance with international safety standards, in which there is no grey area.
TT, as a signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (commonly known as the Chicago Convention), has a serious international treaty obligation to comply with the articles of the convention and its annexes.
Section 5 of the Civil Aviation Act says one of the functions of the TT Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) is to maintain a standard of safety and efficiency in the civil aviation system that is at least equal to the standard of safety prescribed by the Chicago Convention and any other aviation convention, agreement or understanding to which TT is a party.
Section 5 says that in performing it functions and exercising its powers, the TTCAA shall have as its paramount consideration the safety of aviation.
One of the comprehensive strategic objectives of the ICAO is enhancing global civil aviation safety, with focus primarily on a country's regulatory oversight capabilities.
In discharging its safety oversight responsibilities, the TTCAA, in accordance with Section 33 of the act and with the approval of the minister and Parliament, made regulations to comply with ICAO Annex – 14 Aerodromes. The regulations are known as the Civil Aviation [(No 12) Aerodrome Licensing] Regulations.
The act defines an aerodrome as “any area of land or water designed or equipped, set apart or commonly used for affording facilities for landing and departure of aircraft and includes any area or space, whether on the ground, on the roof of a building or elsewhere which is designed, equipped or set apart for affording facilities for the landing and departure of aircraft, capable of descending and climbing vertically and also includes an airport which has the meaning given to it under the Airports Authority Act.”
ICAO Annex 14 Volume II defines a heliport as “an aerodrome or a defined area on a structure intended to be used wholly or in part for the arrival, departure and surface movement of helicopters.”
A helicopter is a rotary wing aircraft, and also called a rotorcraft.
The TT Aerodrome Regulations prescribes that no one shall run an aerodrome in TT unless it has an aerodrome licence issued by the TTCAA, and prescribes the procedure for obtaining one.
Therefore, people who run commercial helicopter operations on the basis of an air operators certificate (AOC) must do so using a licensed aerodrome where the helicopters take off and land.
Applications for aerodrome licences must be accompanied by an aerodrome manual applicable to the aerodrome for which the application is made. This manual must contain the aerodrome operating procedures and safety management system (SMS), including an emergency plan. The SMS is required for effective safety management at the aerodrome and consists of four components and 12 elements
