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The State Aviation Safety Agency approves the change of category of Melilla Airport so that larger aircraft can operate

23/02/2023
The State Aviation Safety Agency approves the change of category of Melilla Airport so that larger aircraft can operate

• The new category also allows the operation of many corporate and general aviation models, which facilitates a greater variety of traffic • To conclude the process, Aena’s infrastructure has made a series of documentary changes in both operating procedures and aeronautical publication

The State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) has approved the change of category, from 2C to 3C, of Melilla Airport, which will allow operating aircraft with higher take-off and landing races.

Until now, Melilla Airport had a letter and a key number 2C in its airfield certificate, depending on the classification made by its facilities according to RD 862/2009 in 2013 and EU Regulation 139/2014 in 2017. This enabled aircraft operations of letter and key number equal or lower as a whole, with the exception of three military aircraft contemplated in the internal procedure of operation of aircraft of letter of higher key (A 400M, C130 and C160).

The modification of category means expanding the types of aircraft that can operate in the infrastructure by having a certified runway of between 1,200 meters and 1,800 meters. Within this category, there are models such as CRJ 200, Airbus 318, Airbus 319, BAE 146 or Embraer 170, among others.

In addition to larger aircraft, the new category allows the operation of many corporate and general aviation models, offering the possibility of having a greater variety of traffic.

To complete the process of changing the airfield key to 3C, Melilla Airport has had to edit much of the procedures of the ‘Airport Manual’ and make the changes of the ‘Aeronautical Information Publication’ (AIP), essential for air navigation and airport operations, since it contains all the information that companies need to fly to the airport, either of a permanent nature or due to temporary changes of long duration.

In addition to these documentary modifications, the change of key to 3C is associated with a series of works in the field of flight of the airport to be developed in the coming years, which do not prevent the operation of these aircraft while they are planned and carried out.

Among the actions to be implemented, the additional horizontal signage on track 15-33 and the change of level strip of track from 80 to 150 meters in width stand out, which includes the raising and acting on fringe archettes and movement of lands with change of level and slopes in the strip.