Seoul mayor urges relaxation of airport altitude restrictions

Social Affairs

Published: 19 Sep. 2023, 18:39 Updated: 20 Sep. 2023, 14:18

Seoul mayor urges relaxation of airport altitude restrictions

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, and Salvatore Sciacchitano, the president of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, pose for a photo after having a meeting in Montreal about the alleviation of altitude restrictions in areas near airports on Saturday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon urged the relaxation of altitude restrictions in neighborhoods near airports to improve the lives of residents during his meeting with the president of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council in Montreal.

Oh met with President of the ICAO Council Salvatore Sciacchitano in Montreal on Saturday as part of his weeklong trip to North America.

During the meeting, Oh encouraged the ICAO to carry out its plan to relax altitude restrictions so that Seoul could develop areas near Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo District, in the west of the city.

The ICAO is a specialized agency under the United Nations. Korea has been a council member state since 2001.

Residents of districts near Gimpo International Airport such as Gangseo and Yangcheon districts have long complained that strict restrictions in their neighborhoods retard local economic growth.

The ICAO imposes a altitude limit on structures of 45 meters (148 feet) to 100 meters in Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS), which define the airspace around airports that must be free of obstacles to permit safe airplane operations. The restriction applies to around 80 square kilometers (30 square miles) of Seoul close to the airport.

Districts near Gimpo International Airport have suffered from underdevelopment since the opening of the airport in 1958 due to the altitude restrictions.

The proposed amendment would divide the concept of the OLS into so-called obstacle free surfaces, where strict altitude restrictions would remain, and obstacle evaluation surfaces, where more flexible standards would apply.

The amendment will be discussed and decided upon during the ICAO board meeting in 2025 and implemented in 2028.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have been making efforts to resolve the issue, but realistic changes can only be made when international standards change, the city government said.

The ICAO is studying other safety measures that could allow it to alleviate altitude restrictions that have been in place since 1951.

Oh asked the organization to do their best to prevent delays to the relaxation of restrictions as many cities face difficulties in areas near airports.

The ICAO drew up its first version of the amendment in May and plans to ask for the opinions of other member countries, including Korea, through October.

Seoul's city government will talk with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport about creating detailed guidelines before the amended international standards are implemented in November 2028. It will also create a team to help develop the Gimpo International Airport area.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]