Aeronautical Information Service
Encyclopedia
One of the least known and most vital roles in support of international civil aviation is filled by the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS). The objective of the Aeronautical Information Service is to ensure the flow of information necessary for the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation.
The manner in which aeronautical information is gathered and managed is governed by Annex 15 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation
(ICAO Annex 15), which defines how an aeronautical information service shall receive and/or originate, collate or assemble, edit, format, publish/store and distribute specified aeronautical information/data. The goal is to satisfy the need for uniformity and consistency in the provision of aeronautical information/data that is required for operational use by international civil aviation.
ICAO Annex 15 specifies that aeronautical information should be published as an integrated aeronautical information package (IAIP), composed of the following elements:
Each element is used to distribute specific types of aeronautical information.
.
A total of 35 amendments updated Annex 15 over the years to meet the rapid changes brought about by air travel and associated information technology. In recent years, Annex 15 amendments have reflected the increased need for the timely provision of quality aeronautical information/data and terrain data as they have become critical components of data-dependant on-board navigation systems. The Annex now contains many provisions aimed at preventing corrupt or erroneous aeronautical information/data which can potentially affect the safety of air navigation.
The philosophy underlying Annex 15, which stems from Article 28 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation
, is that each State is responsible for making available to civil aviation
interests any and all information which is pertinent to and required for the operation of aircraft engaged in international civil aviation within its territory, as well as in areas outside its territory in which the State has air traffic control
or other responsibilities.
The computer-based navigation systems, and area navigation
(RNAV), required navigation performance
(RNP) and air traffic management requirements, introduced a need for new corresponding AIS requirements for quality and timeliness of aeronautical information.
The role of present AIS would need to transform to an information management service, changing duties, responsibilities and scope to satisfy these new requirements and to cope with and manage the provision of information. The definition of a future high-level view as to the shape, nature and content of a strategy for the evolution from traditional product-centric AIS to the enlarged scope of data-centric aeronautical information management (AIM) began and ICAO took the lead at the global level with regard to the transition from AIS to AIM.
The aeronautical information services must transition to a broader concept of aeronautical information management, with a different method of information provision and management given its data-centric nature as opposed to the product-centric nature of AIS. The expectations are that the transition to AIM will not involve many changes in terms of the scope of information to be distributed. The major change will be the increased emphasis on data distribution, which should place the future AIM in a position to better serve airspace users and Air Traffic Management in terms of their information management requirements.
& Faeroes): Statens Luftfartvæsen France: Service de l’Information Aéronautique Germany: Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH Japan: Japan Aeronautical Information Service Center Morocco: Service d'Information Aéronautique du Maroc Mongolia: Aeronautical Information Services Mongolia Netherlands: AIS the Netherlands Norway: Internet Pilot Planning Center Philippines: Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Poland: Polska Agencja Żeglugi Powietrznej Portugal: (NAV) Portuguese Aeronautical Information Services Singapore: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Spain: Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea Sweden: Färdplanering (Flight Planning Centre - FPC) United Kingdom: National Air Traffic Services (NATS) United States of America: Aeronautical Information Management at the FAA website Uzbekistan: AIS of Republic of Uzbekistan
:
The manner in which aeronautical information is gathered and managed is governed by Annex 15 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation
Convention on International Civil Aviation
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization , a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel...
(ICAO Annex 15), which defines how an aeronautical information service shall receive and/or originate, collate or assemble, edit, format, publish/store and distribute specified aeronautical information/data. The goal is to satisfy the need for uniformity and consistency in the provision of aeronautical information/data that is required for operational use by international civil aviation.
ICAO Annex 15 specifies that aeronautical information should be published as an integrated aeronautical information package (IAIP), composed of the following elements:
- The Aeronautical Information PublicationAeronautical Information PublicationIn aviation, an Aeronautical Information Publication is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization as a publication issued by or with the authority of a state and containing aeronautical information of a lasting character essential to air navigation...
(AIP), including amendment services- AIP supplements
- Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)
- NOTAMNOTAMNOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a "Notice To Airmen". NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the Convention on International Civil Aviation...
(Notice to Airmen) - alerts aircraft pilots of any hazards en route or at a specific location- Checklists and lists of valid NOTAM
- Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB)
Each element is used to distribute specific types of aeronautical information.
ICAO Annex 15
The ICAO Council first adopted the original Standards and Recommended Practices in 1953. Annex 15 has its origins in Article 37 of the Chicago ConventionConvention on International Civil Aviation
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization , a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel...
.
A total of 35 amendments updated Annex 15 over the years to meet the rapid changes brought about by air travel and associated information technology. In recent years, Annex 15 amendments have reflected the increased need for the timely provision of quality aeronautical information/data and terrain data as they have become critical components of data-dependant on-board navigation systems. The Annex now contains many provisions aimed at preventing corrupt or erroneous aeronautical information/data which can potentially affect the safety of air navigation.
The philosophy underlying Annex 15, which stems from Article 28 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation
Convention on International Civil Aviation
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization , a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel...
, is that each State is responsible for making available to civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
interests any and all information which is pertinent to and required for the operation of aircraft engaged in international civil aviation within its territory, as well as in areas outside its territory in which the State has air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
or other responsibilities.
Transition from AIS to AIM
We are in the age of the Internet, satellite navigation and computer networks, yet our approach to aeronautical information distribution is still based on paper charts, paper documentation and telex-based text messages. Much of the data is entered more than once in different computers using a keyboard rather than by file transfer or database transactions.The computer-based navigation systems, and area navigation
Area navigation
Area Navigation is a method of Instrument Flight Rules navigation that allows an aircraft to choose any course within a network of navigation beacons, rather than navigating directly to and from the beacons. This can conserve flight distance, reduce congestion, and allow flights into airports...
(RNAV), required navigation performance
Required Navigation Performance
Required Navigation Performance is a type of performance-based navigation that allows an aircraft to fly a specific path between two 3-dimensionally defined points in space. RNAV and RNP systems are fundamentally similar. The key difference between them is the requirement for on-board...
(RNP) and air traffic management requirements, introduced a need for new corresponding AIS requirements for quality and timeliness of aeronautical information.
The role of present AIS would need to transform to an information management service, changing duties, responsibilities and scope to satisfy these new requirements and to cope with and manage the provision of information. The definition of a future high-level view as to the shape, nature and content of a strategy for the evolution from traditional product-centric AIS to the enlarged scope of data-centric aeronautical information management (AIM) began and ICAO took the lead at the global level with regard to the transition from AIS to AIM.
The aeronautical information services must transition to a broader concept of aeronautical information management, with a different method of information provision and management given its data-centric nature as opposed to the product-centric nature of AIS. The expectations are that the transition to AIM will not involve many changes in terms of the scope of information to be distributed. The major change will be the increased emphasis on data distribution, which should place the future AIM in a position to better serve airspace users and Air Traffic Management in terms of their information management requirements.
Aeronautical Information Service by Country
Not all contracting states of ICAO provide an online Aeronautical Information Service, and the following list may not be complete: Turkey: Turkey Aeronautical Information Managemenet Staff Association Brazil: AISWEB China: Air Traffic Management Bureau Denmark (incl GreenlandGreenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
& Faeroes): Statens Luftfartvæsen France: Service de l’Information Aéronautique Germany: Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH Japan: Japan Aeronautical Information Service Center Morocco: Service d'Information Aéronautique du Maroc Mongolia: Aeronautical Information Services Mongolia Netherlands: AIS the Netherlands Norway: Internet Pilot Planning Center Philippines: Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Poland: Polska Agencja Żeglugi Powietrznej Portugal: (NAV) Portuguese Aeronautical Information Services Singapore: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Spain: Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea Sweden: Färdplanering (Flight Planning Centre - FPC) United Kingdom: National Air Traffic Services (NATS) United States of America: Aeronautical Information Management at the FAA website Uzbekistan: AIS of Republic of Uzbekistan
External links
- http://www2.icao.int/en/ais-aimsg/Pages/default.aspxAeronautical Information Services-Aeronautical Information Management Study Group at the International Civil Aviation OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
]
International AIS Organisations
EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
:
- EUROCONTROL's Aeronautical Information Service by continental region
- EUROCONTROL's Aeronautical Information Management