From AIS to AIM
For many decades, the Aeronautical Information Service AIS has been organizing the information flow in international air navigation. Much of the collecting and distributing of AIS data was and still is being handled manually, using a lot of charts and information coming from paper documents, processed via keyboard. At the same time, the internet, satellite navigation and complex global digital networks are coming of age, allowing for greater speed, more accuracy and less hands-on human keyboard intervention.
The role and importance of aeronautical data have changed significantly with the implementation of Area Navigation (RNAV), Required Navigation Performance (RNP), the incoming RNP Authorization Required (RNP-AR) and the whole concept of Performance Based Navigation (PBN). The need for the Aeronautical Information Service AIS to merge gradually and safely into a modern, up-to-date Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) became a major task to tackled.
Reducing Manual Data Entry
Merging AIS into AIM involves a profound change from a traditional product-centric approach to a modern data-centric orientation. While range and amount of information to be distributed might not change that much ad hoc, the increased emphasis on data distribution represents the most remarkable step towards future air traffic management.
The reduction of manual data entries and a decrease of data inconstancies over the complete aeronautical data chain is paramount for originators, through AIS to end users. The transition towards an uninterrupted electronic data chain and the move from a paper- and product-based to a data-centric environment, providing quality assured data sets and thematic data sets to the next intended user, is a critical pre-requisite for the implementation of any current or future ATM or Air Navigation concept.
To achieve this goal, data originators and states must introduce a properly organized quality system. This quality system must provide users with the assurance and confidence that distributed aeronautical data satisfies defined operational requirements for data quality (accuracy, resolution and integrity) and timeliness. The Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) therefore requires a process and quality management system that is summarized under the term Aeronautical Information Management (AIM).
Process Management is essential!
AIM today primarily represents managing the change from the classical AIS organizational model to an AIM performance-driven model in terms of organization, workflow, data structures, electronic data provision and data exchange by using standard and commonly used data formats. This way, AIS with its AIM becomes a necessary major contributor to increase flight safety, environmental protection, and efficiency.
“Reducing the time necessary to promulgate information concerning airspace status will allow for more effective airspace utilization and allow improvements in trajectory management.” – ICAO ASBU Block 0-30 (ICAO Doc 9750)