AIM History

Before ICAO

1919 — The Paris Convention is the first international agreement on civil aviation. It includes provisions on aeronautical charts and on the collection and dissemination of MET information. ICAO's ancestor is created, the CINA (International Commission on Air Navigation).

1920s — Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) are published in regular magazines such as this 1921 NOTAM in Flight Magazine, UK.

ICAO is born

1944 — The Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed by 52 States, establishes the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Article 28 refers to the publication of aeronautical maps and the provision of air navigation services in compliance with Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Article 37 describes SARPs topics, including aeronautical maps and other information.

1948 — ICAO adopts Annex 4 on aeronautical charts.

AIS

1949 — ICAO publishes the first draft Procedures for Air Navigation Services - Aeronautical Information Services (PANS-AIS), essentially about NOTAM.

1953 — ICAO publishes Annex 15 on Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), on a 15th May, which is nowadays World AIS Day.

1960 — Annex 15 Amendment 6: standardisation of AIP (in 7 parts) and AIC.

1964 — Annex 15 Amendment 8: introduction of the AIRAC system.

1967 — Annex 15 Amendment 11: introduction of the pre-flight information service

1991 — Annex 15 Amendment 27: introduction of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package (IAIP)

1994 — Annex 15 Amendment 28: major revision introducing the 3-parts AIP, exchange of aeronautical information, PIB.

2000 — Annex 15 Amendment 30: 50 years after the first (digital) computer, 30 years after the first personal computer, Annex 15 introduces the concept of aeronautical data and the provisioning of aeronautical information in electronic form.

AIM

2001 — Eurocontrol defines Aeronautical Information Management: The dynamic, integrated management of aeronautical information services through the provision and exchange of quality-assured digital aeronautical data, in collaboration with all parties.

2002 — Aeronautical Information eXchange Model (AIXM) version 3.3 specification released (the first version to be used operationally)

2003 — First AIM conference, "One AIM for Europe", organised in Toulouse by Eurocontrol; first electronic AIP (eAIP) standards and tools published by Eurocontrol; 1st eAIP published by Belgocontrol (for Belgium and Luxembourg) on CD-ROM and on the Web.

2004 — First international AIS database (European AIS Database, EAD), including eAIP, AIXM 3.3 data, NOTAM and other services.

2005 — AIXM 4.5 is released, a collaborative work by Eurocontrol and the United States' FAA.

2006 — First Global AIM Congress, organised in Madrid by an international consortium of aviation agencies; AIXM 5.0 is released, a major change that includes temporality for the first time, thereby merging static and dynamic data into a single data model.

2009 — ICAO publishes its "Roadmap for the Transition from AIS to AIM": a high-level document guiding member States on AIS digitalisation.

2010 — Annex 15 Amendment 36: 20 years after the invention of the World-wide Web, Annex 15 introduces operational use of the Internet for AIS; introduction of the electronic AIP and a new flight plan format. AIXM 5.1 is released, used by all serious AIM software providers today.

2011 — First version of the digital NOTAM specification, based on AIXM 5.1.

2018 — Annex 15 Amendment 40: major changes in Annex 15; 1st edition of PANS-AIM, which defines data sets as AIS products for the first time.

2023? — Expected release of AIXM 5.2, a minor version number but it will bring important changes and corrections.