Supporting Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) Through Geographic Information Technologies and Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI)

The way aeronautical information is managed and disseminated must be modernized. Current aeronautical information services (AIS) methods for storing, publishing, disseminating, querying, and updating the volume of data required for the effective management of air traffic control have become obsolete. This does not contribute to preventing airspace congestion, which turns into a limiting factor for economic growth and generates negative effects on the environment. Owing to this, some work plans for improving AIS and air traffic flow focus on data and services interoperability to allow an efficient and coordinated use and exchange of aeronautical information. Geographic information technologies (GIT) and spatial data infrastructures (SDI) are comprehensive technologies upon which any service that integrates geospatial information can rely. The authors are working on the assumption that the foundations and underlying technologies of GIT and SDI can be applied to support aeronautical data and services, considering that aeronautical information contains a large number of geospatial components. This article presents the design, development, and implementation of a Web-based system architecture to evolve and enhance the use and management of aeronautical information in any context, e.g., in aeronautical charts on board, in control towers, and in aeronautical information services. After conducting a study into the use of aeronautical information, it was found that users demand specific requirements regarding reliability, flexibility, customization, integration, standardization, and cost reduction. These issues are not being addressed with existing systems and methods. A system compliant with geographic standards (OGC, ISO) and aeronautical regulations (ICAO, EUROCONTROL) and supported by a scalable and distributed Web architecture is proposed. This proposal would solve the shortcomings identified in the study and provide aeronautical information management (AIM) with new methods and strategies. In order to seek aeronautical data and services interoperability, a comprehensive aeronautical metadata profile has been defined. This proposal facilitates the use, retrieval, updating, querying, and editing of aeronautical information, as well as its exchange between different private and public institutions. The tests and validations have shown that the proposal is achievable.