The objective is to protect those, such as the fare-paying public and residents in the vicinity of an airport, who do not have the knowledge or ability to protect themselves and who could thus be affected by unsafe operations. This is achieved by ensuring sites are inspected periodically for compliance with Transport Canada standards for obstacle limitation surfaces, physical characteristics, marking, lighting, maintenance procedures, emergency response services, etc.

The requirement for aerodrome certification applies to:

Any aerodrome that is located within the built-up area of a city or town
Any land aerodrome that is used by an air operator for the purpose of a scheduled service for the transport of passengers

Definitions

Aerodome: Any area of land or water used for the arrival, departure or movement of aircraft.
Airport: An aerodrome in respect of which an airport certificate is issued.
Built-up Area: There is a significant body of jurisprudence regarding the interpretation of what constitutes “built-up”, most of which is in the context of low-flying violations. In general, “built-up” means a group of structures that are erected or built by man and includes private dwelling residences, schools, elevators, service stations and so forth. A dock could be considered such a structure, particularly if it can be shown that there is a risk of damage to property or injury to persons.

References

AIM AGA 2.0 Aerodromes and Airports

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