For some time now, DFS has been using EAD for flight plan management – over 400,000 flight plan messages are sent to the DFS AIS (Aeronautical Information Service) Centre every day – as well as for publishing national NOTAMs. Since the end of September 2018, it has been using EAD’s pre-flight information service as well.

European AIS Database (EAD)

In the past, DFS used an in-house system for its pre-flight information service. Changing to the EAD Service delivers cost benefits for DFS while ensuring that a high-quality service is maintained.

The EAD is the world’s largest aeronautical database, holding the worldwide operational data set. It is also the world’s biggest TAM – NOTAM & SNOWTAM – provider: it is used by 53 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), both in and outside Europe, has more than 250 commercial clients globally and more than 30,000 subscribed EAD Basic Users. 

A single, centralised aeronautical data repository, EAD offers a fully integrated Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) system, which uses international standards and has rigorous data-quality checking procedures, including clearly defined validation and verification processes.

EAD was the first pan-European AIS provider to be certified under the Single European Sky legislation in December 2016.

It was this certification which prompted DFS to use EAD for its pre-flight information services – although DFS had worked with EUROCONTROL and Frequentis, the supplier of the technology, on enhancing the EAD system for several years beforehand.

DFS stands to benefit from cost savings as users share costs between themselves. “Using these synergies is much more economical than developing and maintaining our own AIS system,” explained Pierre Hermann, Director of Aeronautical Information Management at DFS.

Joe Sultana, EUROCONTROL’s Director Network Manager, was equally enthusiastic: “We have achieved a significant step forward in the further development of our EAD Service and Functions in close cooperation with our partners. We are glad that DFS, as one of the largest ANSPs in Europe, has decided in favour of the EAD Service and Functions.

“Without a doubt, this will have a positive effect on the other major ANSPs – like ENAV Italy, DSNA France, HCAA Greece, DECEA Brazil, ATNS South Africa – which are currently migrating to the EAD Service and Functions.« 

EUROCONTROL’s follow-on project “enhanced EAD” (eEAD) will introduce the next state-of-the-art system; deployment is planned for 2022. DFS and other ANSPs as well as airspace users will continue to be actively involved in this common project