Aeronautical information and meteorological data-link services

Aeronautical information and meteorological management is a key component of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) global Air Traffic Management (ATM) operational concept. This global ATM concept is central to the Joint Planning and Development Office's (JPDO) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS), and underlies Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) initiative. The availability of timely, accurate and relevant aeronautical and meteorological information in the cockpit is critical to the safe conduct of flight and forms the basis for Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision making. The data link of aeronautical and meteorological information will facilitate the creation of a common picture of the airspace situation for all flight crews, air traffic controllers and airline operations personnel. Change notifications and timely warnings and alerts of threats to the safe and efficient conduct of flight will be enabled by these services. The ultimate goal is to provide access to on-line, real-time, quality information and weather services to any aviation user, any time, anywhere. In this framework, this paper presents the operational services and the environment of the aeronautical Information management (AIM) and meteorological (MET) data-link services envisaged to be implemented over the next decade in both Europe and USA. It reflects the concepts and system performance requirements currently developed by a joint EUROCAE (WG-76) / RTCA (SC-206) Committee. The envisaged AIM data-link services are presented: aeronautical updates both in textual and graphical form, synchronization of aeronautical data between onboard and ground systems (exchange of permanent aeronautical data regardless of AIRAC cycles). The MET data-link services are also developed : weather planning, near-term and reactive decision services.