How does EASA CS-ADR-DSN differ from ICAO Annex 14?
For airfield lighting the two say much the same thing. What differs is who the text binds, how it is laid out, where the serviceability rules sit and when each one is updated.
ICAO Annex 14 Volume I is the global baseline. It sets out Standards and Recommended Practices for aerodromes, and each State puts them into its own rules, recording any difference it keeps.
CS-ADR-DSN is EASA’s certification specification for aerodrome design under the EU Basic Regulation. EASA transposes the ICAO SARPs into it, adds guidance material after each paragraph, and applies it to an aerodrome through the certification basis.
For a light, a spacing, a colour or a switch-over time, expect the same engineering intent. Expect a different paragraph number, a different edition date, and a different home for the maintenance rules.
- Find out which text governs. The certification basis, national regulation or contract names it.
- Note the edition. ICAO amendment number, or EASA issue number, with every paragraph you cite.
- Map the paragraph across. Use the chapter map below to find the matching text in the other document.
- Check the flagged rows. Binding force, serviceability, update timing and departures are where the two differ in practice.
- Record the choice. Where you take the stricter reading, write it into the design basis.
“CS ADR-DSN.M.690, Issue 7” or “Annex 14 Vol I, Amendment 18” can be checked and compared by anyone reviewing the design.
A bare paragraph number may point to different text in another edition, and the reviewer cannot tell which one you meant.
Side by side, row by row
Eleven parameters an AGL engineer meets in practice. The last column shows whether you can treat the two as the same or need to read both.
| Parameter | ICAO Annex 14 Vol I | EASA CS-ADR-DSN | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in an Annex to the Chicago Convention, adopted by the ICAO Council. | Certification specifications (CS) with guidance material (GM), adopted by EASA decision for aerodromes in EU scope. | Form differs |
| Who it binds | Contracting States. A State that cannot comply notifies ICAO of the difference (Article 38). It does not bind an operator directly. | Aerodrome operators, through the certification basis that the competent authority applies under Regulation (EU) 139/2014. | Check |
| Requirement wording | Standards use “shall”, Recommended Practices use “should”, and Notes and Attachments give guidance. | A CS paragraph, followed by a GM1 or GM2 paragraph that explains it. Read the certification basis, not the verb alone, to see what is required. | Form differs |
| Scope | Volume I covers aerodromes. Heliports are in Volume II. | CS-ADR-DSN covers aerodromes. Surface-level VFR heliports at aerodromes have CS-HPT-DSN. | Aligned |
| Layout | Numbered chapters. Visual aids 5, obstacle marking 6, closed areas 7, electrical systems 8, operational services 9, maintenance 10, with colours and characteristics in appendices. | Lettered chapters. Lights M, obstacle lighting Q, closed areas R, electrical S, siting and frangibility T, colours and characteristics U. | Form differs |
| Light types and layouts | Approach, slope guidance, runway, taxiway, stop bar and apron lights, with spacing and patterns set in the visual aids chapter. | The same families of lights and patterns, set out in Chapter M with the same intent. | Aligned |
| Colours and photometry | Chromaticity and isocandela diagrams in appendices to the Annex. | U.930 for colours and U.940 for light characteristics. | Aligned |
| Secondary power | Electrical systems chapter, with a table of maximum switch-over times per lighting aid. | Chapter S, Table S-1, with the same one-second and 15-second approach. | Aligned |
| Serviceability and maintenance | Set in the aerodrome maintenance chapter alongside the other maintenance requirements. | Set in Part-ADR.OPS, ADR.OPS.C.015. CS-ADR-DSN Issue 7 removed operational provisions and refers to it. | Check |
| Update cycle | Numbered amendments, usually applicable on a common November date. Amendment 18: adopted 28 March 2025, applicable 27 November 2025. | Numbered issues by ED Decision. Issue 7: applicable since 24 May 2025. NPA 2026-01 (published 28 April 2026) proposes to transpose Amendment 18. | Check |
| Departures | The State records the difference and publishes it, normally in its AIP. | Agree the departure with the competent authority and record it in the certification basis before relying on it. | Check |
Where the same topic sits in each
Both documents split lighting across several chapters. Use this map to jump from a paragraph in one to the matching text in the other. For the paragraph-level view of the EASA side, open the CS-ADR-DSN lighting requirements entry.
ICAO Annex 14 Volume I
- Visual aids for navigationChapter 5
- Visual aids for denoting obstaclesChapter 6
- Visual aids for restricted use areasChapter 7
- Electrical systemsChapter 8
- Operational services, equipment and installationsChapter 9
- Aerodrome maintenanceChapter 10
- Colours and light characteristicsAppendices
EASA CS-ADR-DSN
- LightsChapter M
- Obstacle lightingChapter Q
- Closed and unserviceable areasChapter R
- Electrical systemsChapter S
- Frangibility and sitingChapter T
- Colours and light characteristicsU.930, U.940
- Maintenance and serviceabilityPart-ADR.OPS
ICAO moves first, EASA follows
ICAO amendments reach the Annex first and EASA brings them into CS-ADR-DSN through its own rulemaking. For a period the two texts can disagree. That gap is not an error, so check where your project stands.
- NPA 2026-01NEXT
“Regular update of the aerodrome rules for the transposition of ICAO SARPs amendments.” Based on Amendment 18 to Annex 14 Volume I and Amendments 9 and 10 to Volume II. Check the document library for the decision that follows it.
- AMDT18
Adds runway distance remaining signs, harmonises the provision of runway and taxiway lights around a 300 m RVR threshold (Category II), revises main beam average intensity, and covers closed runway lighting and unserviceability signs. The new obstacle limitation surfaces apply from 21 November 2030.
- ISSUE7
Removed provisions of an operational nature from CS-ADR-DSN, which had already moved to the AMC and GM to Part-ADR.OPS. It is the issue the lighting requirements entry is written against.
Your project decides, not the document
The same lighting design can be assessed against different texts depending on where it is built and what the contract says.
Aerodrome in the EU
Design to CS-ADR-DSN as stated in the certification basis, with serviceability from Part-ADR.OPS. Annex 14 is the background, not the contract text.
Aerodrome in India
Design to the national regulation (DGCA CAR), which follows Annex 14 and carries India’s own differences. CS-ADR-DSN is a reference only if the contract names it.
Tender cites both
Take the stricter reading of each parameter, note the edition and issue, and ask the client which text wins when the two disagree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1Are CS-ADR-DSN and ICAO Annex 14 the same document?
No. Annex 14 Volume I is the ICAO text of Standards and Recommended Practices that States agree to follow. CS-ADR-DSN is EASA's own set of certification specifications for aerodrome design, built to follow those SARPs, with guidance material after each paragraph. The technical substance for lighting is closely aligned, but the legal standing, chapter layout and update timing differ.
Q2Which one is stricter for airfield lighting?
Neither is stricter as a rule. Compare the two paragraph by paragraph, and compare the edition of Annex 14 and the issue of CS-ADR-DSN you are reading, because they are updated on different timelines. Where a contract cites both, work to the stricter reading of each parameter and record that choice in the design basis.
Q3Does an aerodrome in India have to follow CS-ADR-DSN?
Not by law. CS-ADR-DSN applies through EU aerodrome certification. An Indian aerodrome follows its national regulation, which is based on Annex 14, and India publishes its differences from ICAO. CS-ADR-DSN can still be named as a design reference in a tender, in which case the contract makes it binding for that project.
Q4Where are lighting serviceability levels set in each?
In Annex 14 they sit in the aerodrome maintenance chapter. In the EASA system they sit in Part-ADR.OPS, at ADR.OPS.C.015, and the lighting paragraphs of CS-ADR-DSN refer to it. CS-ADR-DSN Issue 7 removed provisions of an operational nature so that they are read in Part-ADR.OPS instead.
Q5How should I cite each one?
Cite the edition or amendment with the paragraph. For ICAO write Annex 14 Volume I, the amendment number and the paragraph. For EASA write the paragraph and the issue, such as CS ADR-DSN.M.690 in Issue 7. A bare paragraph number is ambiguous because both texts are renumbered over time.
Q6Has EASA adopted the latest ICAO amendment?
ICAO Amendment 18 to Annex 14 Volume I became applicable on 27 November 2025 for aerodrome design and visual aids. EASA's NPA 2026-01 (published 28 April 2026, consultation closed 23 June 2026) proposes to transpose Amendment 18, so check the EASA document library for the CS-ADR-DSN issue your certification basis cites before assuming the two agree.
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