1.

RESPONSIBLE SERVICE

1.1

The objective of the aeronautical information service (AIS) is to ensure the flow of aeronautical data and aeronautical information necessary for global air traffic management (ATM) system safety, regularity economy and efficiency in an environmentally sustainable manner.

1.2

In India the Aeronautical Information Service (excluding publication of Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)) is provided by Airports Authority of India (AAI). AIC are published by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India.

1.3

The aeronautical information/data is adequate, of required quality and timely. Adequate arrangements exist for timely provision of required information/data to/from AIS Section among States’ associated with provisions of AIS.

1.4

The service is provided for 24-hour.

1.5

AIS Section of CHQ, RG Bhavan, New Delhi and NOF Centres located at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are responsible to receive/originate, collate or assemble, edit, format, publish/store and distribute aeronautical information/data concerning the entire Indian Territory as well as oceanic airspace as defined above in Para 1.3. The details are as follows:

1.5.1

Aeronautical Information Services

Airports Authority of India

Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Safdarjung Airport

New Delhi -110 003

Tel: +91-11-2461 5508, +91-11-24610536

Fax: +91-11-2461 5508, +91-11-2461 1078

AFS- VIDDYXAX

Email: gmais@aai.aero

1.5.2

International NOTAM Office

Airports Authority of India

Chennai Airport, Chennai -600 027

TEL : +91-44-22567040

FAX : +91-44-2256161822561588

AFS: VOMMYNYX

Email: nofvomm@aai.aero

1.5.3

International NOTAM Office

Airports Authority of India

DATS Complex

I.G.I. Airport, New Delhi -110 037

Tel: +91-11-28705209

Fax: +91-11-25655208

AFS: VIDPYNYX

Email: nofvidp@aai.aero

1.5.4

International NOTAM Office

Airports Authority of India

N.S.C.B.I Airport, Kolkata -700 052

Tel: +91-33-2511 1913

Fax: +91-33-25118985

AFS: VECCYNYX

Email: nofvecc@aai.aero

1.5.5

International NOTAM Office

Airports Authority of India

C.S.I Airport Mumbai - 400 099

Tel: +91-22-26819422

Fax: +91-22-2682 8000

AFS: VABBYNYX

Email: nofvabb@aai.aero

1.6

Website Address: www.aai.aero

(https://aim-india.aai.aero)

1.7

Applicable ICAO documents

The service is provided in accordance with the provisions contained in following ICAO documents:

Annex 15 Aeronautical Information Service.

Doc 8126 Aeronautical Information Services Manual

1.8

Differences to these provisions if any are published in GEN 1.7.

2.

Area of responsibility

2.1

Aeronautical information/data is provided for the entire Indian Territory as well as oceanic areas over Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, for which responsibility for providing Air Traffic Service has been accorded to India by ICAO.

3.

Aeronautical publications

3.1.

The Aeronautical Information is provided in the form of the Aeronautical Information Product consisting of the following elements

i) Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)

ii) Amendment service to the AIP (AIP AMDT)

iii) Supplement to the AIP (AIP SUP)

iv) NOTAM and Pre-Flight information bulletins (PIB)

v) Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)

vi) Check-lists and lists of valid NOTAM.

3.2

Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)

3.2.1

The AIP is the basic aviation document intended primarily to satisfy international requirements for the exchange of permanent aeronautical information and long duration temporary changes essential for air navigation. The AAI publishes Aeronautical Information Publication only in electronic form (eAIP India). The AIP is published in English for use in International and Domestic operations.

3.3

Amendment service to the AIP (AIP AMDT):

For every AIP AIRAC amendment a new CD-ROM is issued and the AIS India website is updated. The ICAO AIRAC system is used to provide advance notice of the introduction of permanent operationally significant changes on an internationally recognized AIRAC effective date. An AIRAC amendment does not replace the existing AIP until the AIRAC effective date on which the changes take place.

In the electronic format AIRAC amendment changes are identified on the AMDT tab in the left navigation pane. In the content pane the changes are marked when the check box in the upper right corner of the content pane is selected. The changes are marked as follows:

Inserted text has a light pink background;

Deleted text has a dark pink background and is stroked through.

Point at the changed text to see its effective date

If the AIRAC amendment is printed, each page is dated to reflect the amendments AIRAC effective date and a complete checklist of AIP pages, relating page reference to date, is reissued with each amendment in AIP section GEN 0.4. The AIP anendment cover sheet will indicate any changes that have been incorporated. On each replacement page, changes are either annotated or identified in the outer margin of the page by a vertical line or arrow adjacent to the change / addition / deletion. AIP pages should not be replaced before the stated AIRAC effective date to remain consistent with the CD-ROM and website.

3.4

Supplement to the AIP (AIP SUP)

3.4.1

Temporary change of long duration (three Months and longer) and information of short duration which consists of extensive text and/or graphics, supplementing the permanent information contained in the AIP, are published as AIP Supplements (AIP SUP). Operationally significant temporary changes to the AIP are published in accordance with the AIRAC system and its established effective dates and are identified clearly by the acronym AIRAC AIP SUP.

3.4.2

Supplements are published on Yellow paper to be conspicuous and to stand out from rest of the AIP. Each AIP Supplement is allocated a serial number which is consecutive and based on the calendar Year, i.e. AIP Supplement 01/2017; AIRAC AIP Supplement 02/2017, and so on.

3.4.3

An AIP Supplement is active as long as all or some of its contents remain valid. The period of validity of the information contained in the AIP Supplement will normally be given in the supplement itself. Alternatively, NOTAM may be used to indicate changes to the period of validity or the cancellation of the supplement.

3.4.4

The summary of the AIP Supplements currently in force is issued in the month of January of each year through an AIP Supplement. A checklist of valid AIP Supplements is issued on 1st of every month. This information is issued through the medium of the monthly plain-language list of valid NOTAM.

3.5

NOTAM

3.5.1

NOTAM contain information concerning the establishment, condition or changes in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential for personnel concerned with flight operations. The text of each NOTAM contains the information in the order shown in the ICAO NOTAM format and is composed of significant/uniform abbreviated phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM Code complemented by ICAO abbreviations, indicators, identifiers, designators, call-signs, frequencies, figures, letters and plain language.

NOTAM will be issued when:

a. The information is of a temporary nature (not exceeding 3 months), or

b. Permanent changes of operational significance, or temporary changes of long duration have to be published on short notice.

Whenever the changes contain extensive text or graphics, the information will be published as a supplement to the AIP

3.5.2

NOTAMs are originated by the International NOTAM Offices - Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and are distributed in five series identified by the letters A, B, C, D and G as follows:

i) Series “A” - Contain information in respect of changes/unserviceability etc of aeronautical facilities, likely to last for more than 2 hours, in respect of locations of direct importance to International aircraft operations, requiring general international distribution.

ii) Series “B” - Contain information in respect of changes/unserviceability etc, of aeronautical facilities, likely to last for more than 30 minutes but less than two hours in respect of locations of direct importance to international aircraft operations, requiring limited distribution to adjacent stations only.

iii) Series “C” - Contain information in respect of changes/unserviceability, etc, of aeronautical facilities in respect, of locations utilized by domestic flights only and for which no separate A' series international distribution is given.

iv) Series “D” - Contain information in respect of changes/unserviceability etc, of aeronautical facilities in respect of locations of military controlled airfields utilized by domestic flights the information of which is issued by AHQ/Indian Air force station in plain-language.

Any foreign aircrew/foreign registered aircraft needs prior clearance from Air HQ to operate from any IAF airfield in the form of AOR number. The requisite information will be shared with the operator by the relevant ATS Agency for a particular airfield on grant of AOR Clearance.

v) Series “G” - Contain information of general and lasting character affecting aircraft operations in general. The series is operated only by the International NOTAM Office, Delhi and issued under the authority of the Aeronautical Information Service (CHQ).

3.5.3

The NOTAM of each series are allocated a serial number by the respective NOTAM offices, commencing with No.0001 preceded by the designated letter of series A, B, C, D & G as the case may be at 0000UTC on 1st January every year.

3.5.4

SNOWTAM: SNOWTAM are originated for information providing a surface condition report notifying the presence or cessation of hazardous conditions due to snow, ice, slush, frost, standing water or water associated with snow, slush, ice or frost on the movement area. International NOTAM offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai promulgate SNOWTAM for stations within the FIR for which the NOFs cater to. SNOWTAM are assigned separate serial numbers for each NOF with 0001 at the beginning of the year. The abbreviated heading of SNOWTAM message starts with SWVI for Delhi NOF, SWVA for Mumbai NOF, SWVE for Kolkata NOF and SWVO for Chennai NOF.

3.6

Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)

3.6.1

The Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC) contain information on the long-term forecast of any major change in legislations, procedures, or facilities; information of a purely explanatory or advisory nature liable to affect flight safety; and information or notification of an explanatory or advisory nature concerning technical, legislative, or purely administrative matters. AIC is issued by Director General of Civil Aviation, India.

3.6.2

Each AIC is numbered consecutively on a calendar year basis. The year, indicated by two digits, is a part of the serial number of the AIC e.g. AIC 02/2017. A checklist of AIC currently in force is issued as an AIC once a year.

3.7

Checklist and Summary of NOTAM

3.7.1

A checklist of all NOTAM current on the 1st of each month is originated by the respective NOTAM office and transmitted over the AFTN to all the addresses on the distribution list of their NOTAM. In addition, a monthly checklist and summary of NOTAM in force at the end of the month is compiled and posted to those addresses. The complete summary is prepared once a year on the 1st of January, but the summary for the subsequent months shall contain the text of only those NOTAM, which have been promulgated during the month of issue, and remain current on the date of compilation.

3.7.2

NOTAM and the related monthly checklists are issued via the Aeronautical fixed service (AFS), while PIB are made available at ATS Reporting office. All other documents of the Aeronautical Information Package are distributed by mail.

3.8

Pre-Flight Information Bulletin (PIB)

3.8.1

Contains recapitulation of current NOTAM and other information of urgent character for the operator/flight crews. Further information on PIB is indicated at Para 4 below.

3.9

AIRAC system

3.9.1

In order to give adequate advance notice of changes of operational significance a series of common effective dates has been agreed internationally, under the system of Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC).

3.9.2

The table below indicates Schedule of AIRAC effective dates of a minimum gap of 28 days for the coming years.

4.

Pre-flight Information Service at Aerodromes

4.1

Pre-flight Information is available at the following aerodromes:

i) Chennai

ii) Delhi

iii) Kolkata

iv) Mumbai

4.2

Daily Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB)

4.2.1

Route Bulletins and Summaries are available for distribution at the AIS Units of above mentioned aerodromes.

4.3

Automatic Self Briefing System (ASBS)

4.3.1

Automatic Self Briefing System (ASBS) provides an automatic method of receiving, storing and retrieving the data, essentially required for pilot’s pre-flight briefing. It has the capability to include information pertaining to the stations and routes concerned with the following data.

i) General information

ii) Visual aids

iii) AGA information

iv) Communication facilities

v) Navigational facilities

vi) NOTAMs

5.

Electronic terrain and obstacle data: To be published