GCAA of the United Arab Emirates accepts COMSOFT’s AIXM 5.1-based integrated AIM solution and publishes the first electronic AIP in the MID region.
ABU Dhabi/ARAB EMIRATES, February 2011 – The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates published their AIP on February 10th, thus being the first Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) of the MID Region to publish its AIP in electronic format. After a challengingly short and intensive project phase of less than four months, the GCAA accomplished to site accept and commission the fully integrated CADAS AIM from the German ATC supplier COMSOFT in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to the eAIP in full accordance with the latest EUROCONTROL standard, the system comprises both COMSOFT’s market leading AIXM 5.1 database and user-friendly charting terminals, using state-of-the-art GIS technology. eAIP and charting components are able to exchange data with the database automatically via open standards and share data with other aeronautical applications. For example, COMSOFT’s ATM automation system PRISMA at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Centre is also integrated with the AIXM 5.1 database, thus receiving directly the static data required for its operation. The vital necessity for more reliable data exchange between AIM and ATM automation was one of the driving forces behind this ambitious and innovative project.
Hassan Karam, the GCAA’s Director of Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre, emphasised the importance of the new integrated data concept: “Centralised data management, ensuring highest data consistency and accuracy, is indispensable to comply with the steadily increasing requirements of Flight Safety in terms of quality and efficiency. Deployment of latest state-of-the-art technology implemented in top grade products is essential in this respect.”
AIXM 5.1 database is suitable for both static and dynamic data. Not only does it put the GCAA in compliance with “ICAO Roadmap from AIS to AIM”, it also prepares the ANSP for future applications like the Digital NOTAM office. As a result, the GCAA will be on the leading edge in AIM technology, benefiting from a complete AIM system that is unmatched in the industry.