Major Rules and Procedure of Landing Permit in Aviation

Purpose of Flight

If the aircraft is being functioned secretly, then some nations don’t need the issuance of a landing permit, such as foreign private aircraft operating to the EU. Filing a prior flight plan is adequate. However, if the aircraft is flown commercially as charter for remuneration, then securing a landing permit is a must. Some countries don’t need a landing permit for private flights, but require it for charter. Many other countries around the world don’t discriminate based on the purpose of the flight and need a prior landing permit for both kinds of flight, private and charter.

Purpose of Landing

The supplies vary based on the purpose of landing, whether it is a technical landing for refueling or crew rest, or a traffic landing with passengers or cargo inbound to their territory or outbound from it. Normally, applications for landing permits for technical stops are easier and faster as compared to the full traffic landing permit applications. Conversely, there are some nations that still need local third party support even for methodical landing permits, such as Togo, which needs a confirmation from the aviation fuel supplier to the civil aviation authority that fuel has been booked and confirmed for the declared flight.

Local Sponsor

Most nations need the strong requirement of the local party receiving the flight and responsible for it (commonly known as the 'sponsor') in the permit application. The name of the company, contact, address and contact numbers are sufficient in some countries. This resident sponsor must expect a call from the local civil aviation authority requesting a confirmation and some information about the flight. The resident contact alone is not enough for some countries, they further request an official letter signed and stamped on the company letterhead addressed to the country’s civil aviation authority, clearly confirming their responsibility for the flight and specifying the full flight facts. Some countries accept the letter in English (Qatar), while others need it in the local language (Iran).

Ground Handling and Slots

Due to the limited size of the airport and the ground handling company, some countries make the confirmation of the ground handling, slots and parking a prior condition for the issuance of the landing permit.

When to Apply

Landing permit claims must be submitted within the controlling lead time specified by the country’s regulations. The lead time is different from one country to another.

How to Apply

States follow different methods in the way the landing permit claim must be made:

Email 

A simple email is adequate to consider the landing permit application in different countries.

AFTN

AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network) is a requirement for applying for landing permits in many countries, such as Iran, Tunis, Ethiopia and Algeria. The aircraft documents can be sent to the CAA by email or fax.

Official Application

Some countries require an application signed and stamped by the airline in order to consider the landing permit application. This application can then be sent by email.

Online Portals

Civil aviation authority portal is available (and required) in some countries. Most of the online portals allow candidates to upload the necessary aircraft documents and will process the landing fees.

Conclusion

Landing permits are permissions needed by an aircraft to overfly, land or make a procedural stop in any country's airport.