Eurocontrol and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have today signed an agreement to support African States that are part of ICAO AFI Region and their Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in improving Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), including transition from AIS to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM).

Over the next year and a half, Eurocontrol will assist IATA in its endeavour to improve the provision, consistency, completeness and distribution of aeronautical data in certain States of the ICAO AFI Region. This will be done in particular through a series of workshops that will take place at the AIS premises of the various States.

Signing the Agreement with IATA in Strasbourg, Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol said: “Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, is delighted to be working closely with IATA to support the development of aeronautical information services across the African region - supporting safety and of course efficiency in our neighbouring region brings benefits to everyone.”

“Safety is our number one priority, and the need for greater safety in African aviation is particularly acute. The provision of improved AIS will help raise safety levels, as well as have spin-off benefits for noise and route efficiency. IATA is pleased to partner with Eurocontrol for the delivery of better AIS, and we look forward to seeing carriers across Africa benefit from this very soon,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Quality and timelines of Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) have been identified by IATA member airlines in Africa as important issues to address to improve safety across the continent. Following the ICAO Safety Symposium held in Dakar in May 2014, Eurocontrol committed to assist IATA in their endeavours for African States to improve their capability for provision of AIS/AIM. A coordination programme was established with the objective of providing AIS/AIM refresher training including identification of areas requiring improvements for which mitigation measures for the short, medium and long terms will be defined, and implemented.

Eurocontrol has extensive experience in AIS/AIM, in particular due to the EAD service (European AIS Database) which the Agency has been running for more than 12 years. EAD processes world-wide information according to ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. Eurocontrol’s data procedures - both static and dynamic - were considered by IATA as a key element and the most appropriate approach to support the resolution of aeronautical data issues in the ICAO AFI Region that are affecting the delivery of ATM services.