The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reportedly completely revised the altitude restriction standards for the first time in 70 years, and the Seoul city government is discussing joint responses with other municipalities affected by the regulations.
According to the Seoul city government on the 27th, a task force (TF) led by Seoul is currently operational to respond to the ICAO international standards revision on altitude restrictions, which will go into effect on the 4th of next month.
The TF includes relevant municipalities such as Gangseo-gu and Yangcheon-gu in Seoul, Gimpo and Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, and Gyeyang-gu in Incheon, as well as the Air Traffic Controllers Association and aviation experts.
A city official noted, "We aim to gather opinions from municipalities within the affected area to create a unified proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," adding, "It will take time to review both the aeronautical and technical aspects, but we aim to complete it within this year."
The full implementation date of the revised regulations is November 21, 2030. In the meantime, countries can revise domestic laws and nations that meet the criteria can implement them earlier. The revision includes a relaxation of the ' Obstacle Limitation Surface' (OLS), which uniformly and strictly regulated the creation of obstacles such as buildings, into a dual system of a 'Prohibited Surface' (OFS) and 'Evaluation Surface' (OES).
While the revised standards provide a basis for relaxing altitude restrictions, the specific criteria to be applied domestically have yet to be determined, resulting in differing positions among the affected autonomous districts in Seoul.
Gangseo-gu, where 97.3% of the total area is classified as an altitude restriction zone, has a favorable atmosphere, as some areas may see the lifting of altitude restrictions according to the evaluation criteria being established.
In contrast, Yangcheon-gu is resistant, analyzing that areas within approximately 11 to 13 km of Gimpo Airport are classified as evaluation surfaces, which allows for altitude restrictions of 45, 60, and 90 meters. They point out that Mokdong, which was previously in a non-regulated area, is now included in the evaluation target. As reconstruction efforts are active in the 14 apartment complexes in the Mokdong New Town, there is a high possibility of incurring losses in terms of floor area ratio if the revised altitude restriction criteria are applied.
The city official explained, "Conducting aeronautical reviews that are dual-layered will incur time and expenses," and added, "Therefore, for surfaces where there are no issues with aviation safety, we need to adopt relaxed criteria appropriate for the situation at Gimpo Airport to minimize the number of individual reviews required."
Regarding the differing opinions among autonomous districts, the official stated, "The basic premise that regulations should be minimized is the same, so it cannot be seen as a difference in opinion," and added, "We will closely consult with relevant institutions and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."
Along with the TF's operations, the city is also conducting a project to plan for the relaxation of altitude restrictions and development options in the airport area. The main tasks include analyzing the flight procedures and airspace of Gimpo Airport and establishing a reasonable domestic application range for the newly introduced evaluation surface and altitude restriction height standards.
In connection with this, a 'Master Plan for Airport Area Development' will be established, which includes plans to relax building standards and activate redevelopment projects in the aging residential areas around Gimpo Airport that have been neglected due to altitude restrictions.