Government and industry representatives from Europe, Australia, and North and South America are gathered at HAI headquarters this week, working on the latest revisions to worldwide standards and recommended practices for heliport design.

Formed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Heliport Design Working Group (HDWG) is considering a range of proposed amendments to ICAO Annex 14, Chapter 2 which sets out the fundamental requirements for heliports and helidecks. The guidelines outlined in Annex 14 are used by nations as they draft laws and regulations governing airports and heliports.

The HDWG was established in 2005, and has been meeting periodically since then to review heliport standards.  At this meeting of the HDWG, the group is focusing on targeted issues such as applicability, heliport lighting, and safety management systems.  It is also discussing the possibility of a broader change in the underlying philosophy of the standards and a move towards more performance-based — as opposed to prescriptive — standards.