Aeronautical Information Service

The Aeronautical Information Service, or AIS (French: Service de l'Information Aéronautique, SIA) is a service established in support of international civil aviation, whose objective is to ensure the flow of information necessary for the safety, regularity, and efficiency of international air navigation.

The manner in which aeronautical information is gathered and managed is governed by Annex 15 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO Annex 15), which defines how an aeronautical information service shall receive and/or originate, collate or assemble, edit, format, publish/store and distribute specified aeronautical information/data. The goal is to satisfy the need for uniformity and consistency in the provision of aeronautical information/data that is required for operational use by international civil aviation.

ICAO Annex 15 specifies that aeronautical information should be published as an integrated aeronautical information package (IAIP), composed of the following elements:

• The Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), including amendment services
  • AIP supplements
• Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)
• NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions)—alerts aircraft pilots of any hazards en route or at a specific location
  • Checklists and lists of valid NOTAM
• Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB)

Each element is used to distribute specific types of aeronautical information.