ICAO President: "Early Implementation Possible Before 2030 If Member States Are Ready"
"Hope of 3.2 Million Residents"... Growing Expectations for Regional Development
Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District, Visits ICAO with Local Lawmakers
In order to ease height restrictions in the area surrounding Gimpo International Airport, members of the National Assembly representing Gangseo, Yangcheon, Gimpo, and Bucheon, along with Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District in Seoul, visited the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, to confirm the possibility of “early implementation of height restriction relaxation.”
Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District (left), and Jung Ae Han, Member of the National Assembly (right), are delivering a letter to Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of ICAO Headquarters, on the 26th of last month. Provided by Gangseo District.
During their five-day, three-night visit to the ICAO headquarters in Canada starting on June 25, the delegation delivered a letter representing the wishes of 3.2 million residents and officially requested the early implementation of the revised Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) standards.
During the meeting, Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of ICAO, stated, “If a member state complies with ICAO regulations and establishes its own laws and standards, it is possible to implement the new height restriction standards before the full enforcement scheduled for 2030.” Pascal Luciani, ICAO Deputy Director of Aviation Safety, also explained, “Any country that wishes to implement early adoption may do so as soon as it is ready.”
ICAO is a specialized agency under the United Nations established to advance international civil aviation technology, transportation, and infrastructure. In March, ICAO fully revised the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces standards for the first time in approximately 70 years. The previous uniform standards were divided into “Obstacle Free Surfaces (OFS)” and “Obstacle Evaluation Surfaces (OES),” allowing each country to flexibly apply the standards according to the conditions of individual airports.
In particular, the OES provides an institutional basis for relaxing height restrictions around airports, which is expected to serve as a turning point for regional development and the restoration of property rights. The revised standards are set to take effect on August 4 this year, with full enforcement scheduled for November 21, 2030. However, this recent response confirmed that early adoption by individual countries is possible.
Based on the results of this visit, Gangseo District plans to closely coordinate with related agencies, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and to submit the issue for discussion at the Western Capital Region Administrative Council, continuing joint efforts with local governments surrounding Gimpo Airport.
Jung Ae Han, who served as co-leader of the delegation, stated, “The revision of the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces standards is a critical issue reflecting the wishes of 3.2 million local residents, and the relaxation of height restrictions is urgently needed. I hope that the process of revising ICAO international standards and preparing detailed guidelines proceeds smoothly, leading to improved airport safety and a better quality of life for local residents.”
Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District and co-leader of the delegation, emphasized, “This visit was an important step in directly conveying the wishes of Gangseo residents to the international community and driving tangible change. Since relaxing height restrictions is a core issue for regional development, we will focus all administrative resources on this effort.”
The “ICAO Delegation for the Relaxation of Height Restrictions at Gimpo International Airport” consisted of Assembly members Jung Ae Han (Gangseo District, Seoul), Yongseon Lee (Yangcheon District, Seoul), Jooyoung Kim (Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province), Youngseok Seo (Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province), and Jin Kyohun, Mayor of Gangseo District.
From the left, Donghwan Choi, Technical Committee Member; Myunghee Lee, Vice Chairperson; Kyohun Jin, District Mayor; Assembly members Jeongae Han, Jooyoung Kim, Youngseok Seo, Yongseon Lee; and Jonggil An, Director of Balanced Development Promotion Team, are taking a commemorative photo in front of the ICAO headquarters. Provided by Gangseo District.
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