Ref. T4/3.01 MSC/Circ.1152
15 December 2004
1 TheMaritimeSafetyCommittee,atitsseventy-ninthsession(1to10December2004), noted that the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), on 27 February2004, had adopted amendment no.3 to Annex 14 - Aerodromes, Volume II - Heliports, to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The ICAO Council prescribed 12 July2004asthedateonwhichtheamendmentwouldbecomeeffectiveandresolvedthatit wouldbeapplicablefrom25November2004. Theamendmentalsocontainsaprovisionstating that the replacement of existinginstallations shall not be required before 1 January 2009.
2 The Committee noted that the adopted amendment impacted on the IMO Code for the Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU Code), in particular chapter 13 (Helicopter facilities), and agreed that necessary amendments to the MODU Code should be prepared.
3 The Committee noted further that ICAO's Air Navigation Commission authorized the ICAO Secretariat to undertake a review of Annex 14, Volume II, and the related guidance material in the Heliport Manual.To this end, a Heliport Design Study Group (HDSG) was established in 2003. The group will additionally consider the introduction of certification requirementsforheliportsandhelidecks. Itisexpectedthatthegroupwillfinalizethereviewin 2006 with the preparation of a formal proposal for further amendments.
4 Member Governments are invited to bring the above information to the attention of shipping companies, shipowners, ship operators, drilling contractors and all parties concerned, pending finalization of appropriate amendments to the MODU Code.