Data Submission

Your role as an originator of changes to aeronautical information and data: Every effort should be made to provide permanent changes with ample lead time for the changes to be implemented in accordance with the AIRAC system. Every effort should be made to avoid using NOTAM as a fall back for changes other than temporary and of short duration. Remember that an FMS may not contain critical data established by NOTAM. To meet AIRAC requirements planning and collaboration between all parties is necessary and as a result, operations will be smoother.

Important: Before these changes are submitted, discovery discussions and feasibility studies may be required. Large airspace projects associated with significant airport upgrades will require more lead time, that is, 18 to 24 months. In some cases, it could be more. Contact the Customer Relation Coordination group through service@navcanada.caOpen a new window as soon as possible, even if the project approval is pending. The more advance notice the better.

What is AIRAC?
It is essential, for both efficiency and safety, that pilots, dispatchers, air traffic services, air traffic flow managers, flight management systems (FMS) and aeronautical charts all have the same information working from the same information base. As this aeronautical information is constantly changing, and is shared between stakeholders worldwide, it is essential to adopt a universal system that all can follow.

This system is Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control - AIRAC. It is a system consisting of a set of rules and a common schedule for any data that is loaded into an FMS or published in aeronautical information products such as a chart. It is not desirable to implement a significant change on another date since the loading of the FMS and production of charts are done in accordance with a strict and tight schedule. This schedule is applied worldwide.

The advance notification to the navigation data base providers and data integrators allows these organizations to prepare and encode the data to load FMS. Failure by the originators of data changes to adhere to these rules and schedule may result in information not being loaded in an FMS, which cannot be updated manually based on a NOTAM. Therefore, submitting critical information too late can mean that an instrument flight procedure cannot be flown.

AIRAC Procedures

• All updates and changes to critical information must become effective (available for use) on an AIRAC date, unless they are temporary. This schedule is applied worldwide.
• Ample lead time must be given to the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) provider to process the information and provide it to Navigation database providers and Data integrators
• Information disseminated in accordance with the AIRAC system must not be further changed from 28 days before the Effective date until 28 days after the Effective date unless the circumstance notified is of a temporary nature and would not persist for the full period.