The drive is on to transform Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) into Aeronautical Information Management (AIM). This is needed to set the scene for the introduction of System Wide Information Management (SWIM), the ultimate goal of the activity.
The change from AIS to AIM is primarily the morphing of the traditional, package based aeronautical information system into a data-based one, where users are provided with data to feed their particular applications in the way they need it rather than being fed with pre-cooked packages that do not really satisfy anyone while also being extremely difficult to change when new requirements turn up.
In SWIM, all data of concern to air traffic management will be handled on the basis of common rules covering every aspect of information management, including availability, access, quality, security and so on.
We bring you news on AIM under the SWIM category because it is on the development path of SWIM and must be seen as the first, vital step towards that bigger goal.
AIM has now booked an important milestone on 14 October 2009 when the European Commission’s Single Sky Committee gave its unanimous support to a new Implementing Rule on Aeronautical Data and Information Quality (ADQ).
The rule supplements the existing provisions of ICAO Annex 15, adding the material required to meet Single European Sky (SES) data quality and interoperability performance requirements, notably to support new concepts such as Precision Area Navigation (P-RNAV). Specifically, the rule defines requirements for how data should be originated, transferred, handled and processed within the data supply chain to ensure the required quality. In addition, the rule addresses interoperability requirements by the implementation of a common dataset and digital data exchange format.
You can find more information on the ADQ implementing rule here.