Airport Authority of Jamaica commissioned CEAC in 2018 to define a safe zone known as an Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) for the Norman Manley International Airport. The OLS is a mathematically derived three-dimensional (3D) model that defines the airspace around the airport which should be free from obstacles, allowing for the safe operations of aircrafts within its zone and may also be used in development, informing developers of height restrictions in the KMA. In defining this model several surveys were carried out by the CEAC team which comprised of an aerial LiDar survey, GPS control surveys, Runway declination survey and an obstacle verification survey of objects within the OLS model.
The current OLS as defined by CEAC radiates from the edge of the existing runway and has a maximum horizontal extent of 17.5km extending as far as Spanish Town in St. Catherine.
