Responsible service
The Aeronautical Information Service, which forms part of the Dutch Caribbean – Air Navigation Service Provider – DC-ANSP, ensures the flow of information necessary for the safety, regularity and efficiency of international and national air navigation within the area of its responsibility as indicated under AIP GEN 3.1.2. Pre-flight information service is provided by the AIS’s ATS Reporting Office (ARO) established at certain aerodromes as listed under AIP GEN 3.1.5.
Area of responsibility
The DC-ANSP Aeronautical Information Service department is responsible for the collection and dissemination of information for the CUR FIR and St. Maarten TMA.
Aeronautical publications
The aeronautical information is provided in the form of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package (IAIP) consisting of the following elements:
NOTAM and the related monthly checklists are issued via the Aeronautical Fixed Service (AFS) called AMHS, while PIB are made available at aerodrome AIS units and are also provided via the electronic means of e-mail. All other elements of the package are distributed via the electronic means of e-mail and air mail for the CD distribution.
Aeronautical Information Publication
The AIP is the basic aviation document intended primarily to satisfy international requirements for the exchange of permanent aeronautical information and long duration temporary changes essential for air navigation. The Dutch Caribbean AIP is published under the authority of the government of Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten and The Netherlands, as one book in one volume, consisting out of the three (3) Chapters/Parts – (General-GEN, En-route-ENR and Aerodromes-AD) for the 5 Dutch Caribbean islands, namely:
The AIP is published digital in PDF format and electronic format (eAIP), in English for use in international and domestic operations, whether the flight is a commercial or a private one.
Amendment service to the AIP (AIP AMDT)
Amendments to the AIP are made by means of replacement pages. Two types of AIP AMDT are produced:
AIRAC AIP Amendment (AIP AIRAC AMDT ):
• Is issued in accordance with the AIRAC cycle and the established regular interval (ref. GEN 3.1-6); and
Regular AIP Amendment (AIP AMDT):
• Incorporates permanent changes into the AIP on the indicated publication date and is issued only if necessary.
Changes
AIRAC incorporates operationally significant permanent changes into the AIP on the indicated AIRAC effective date. New information included on the reprinted AIP pages is annotated or identified by a vertical line in the left margin (or immediately to the left) of the change/addition. Each AIP page and each AIP replacement page introduced by an amendment, including the amendment cover sheet, are dated. The date consists of the day, month (three letters [MMM]) and year of the publication date (regular AIP AMDT) or of the AIRAC effective date (AIP AIRAC AMDT) of the information. Each AIP amendment cover sheet includes references to the serial number of those elements, if any, of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package which have been incorporated in the AIP by the amendment and are consequently cancelled. Each AIP AMDT and each AIP AIRAC AMDT are allocated numbers which are consecutive and based on the calendar year. The year, indicated by two digits, is a part of the number of the amendment, e.g. AIP AMDT 01-14; AIP AIRAC AMDT 02-14. A checklist of AIP pages containing the page number and the effective date (dd MMM yyyy) of the information is reissued whenever is necessary and is an integral part of the AIP.
Supplement to the AIP
Temporary changes of long duration (three months and longer) and information of short duration which consists of extensive text and/or graphics, supplementing the permanent information contained in the AIP, are published as AIP Supplements (AIP SUP). Operationally significant temporary changes to the AIP are published in accordance with the AIRAC system and its established effective dates and are identified clearly by the acronym AIP AIRAC SUP. AIP Supplements are separated by information subject (GEN, ENR and AD) and are placed accordingly at the beginning of AIP. Supplements are published on yellow paper to be conspicuous and to stand out from the rest of the AIP Each AIP Supplement (regular or AIRAC) is allocated a serial number which is consecutive and based on the calendar year, i.e. AIP SUP 01-14; AIP AIRAC SUP 02-14. An AIP Supplement is kept in the AIP as long as all or some of its contents remain valid. The period of validity of the information contained in the AIP Supplement will normally be given in the supplement itself. Alternatively, NOTAM may be used to indicate changes to the period of validity or cancellation of the supplement. The checklist of AIP Supplements currently in force is reissued whenever is necessary and is an integral part of the AIP. The last distributed AIP SUPs are mentioned in the monthly printed plain-language summary of NOTAM in force.
NOTAM and Preflight Information Bulletins
Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) contains information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential for personnel concerned with flight operations. The text of each NOTAM contains the information in the order shown in the ICAO NOTAM Format and is composed of the significations/uniform abbreviated phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM Code complemented by ICAO abbreviations, indicators, identifiers, designators, call signs, frequencies, figures and plain language (Annex 15 and Doc 8126). NOTAM are originated and issued for CUR FIR, St. Maarten TMA and are distributed in A series, which includes information relating to the Dutch Caribbean AIP, with international distribution. Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB), which contains a summary of current NOTAMs and other information of urgent character for the operator/flight crews, are available at the Dutch Caribbean aerodrome ARO units / booths. Depending of the requirements of the users, manually prepared printed plain language PIBs are available in the form of: area type bulletins; and aerodrome type bulletins, which are in compliance with ICAO standard bulletin formats.
Aeronautical Information Circulars
The Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC) contain:
The year, indicated by two digits, is a part of the serial number of the AIC, e.g. AIC 01-15; A checklist of AIC currently in force is issued as an AIC once a year.
Checklist and summary of NOTAM A checklist of valid NOTAM is issued monthly via AIS. The checklist is followed by a printed summary of NOTAM distributed by e-mail to all recipients of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package. It contains a plain language (in English) presentation of the valid NOTAM and information about the number of the latest issued AIP AMDT, AIP AIRAC AMDT, AIP SUP, AIP AIRAC SUP, and AIC, as well as the numbers of the elements issued under the AIRAC that will become effective or, if none, the NIL AIRAC notification.
AIRAC System
In order to control and regulate the operationally significant changes requiring amendments to charts, route manuals etc., such changes, whenever possible, will be issued on predetermined dates according to the AIRAC SYSTEM. This type of information will be published as an AIP AIRAC AMDT or an AIP AIRAC SUP. The table below indicates the AIRAC effective dates for the coming years, and the cycles to which the DC-ANSP AIS adheres to. AIRAC information will be issued so that the information will be received by the user not later than 28 days, and for major changes not later than 56 days, before the effective date. At AIRAC effective date, a trigger NOTAM will be issued giving a brief description of the contents, effective date and reference number of the AIP AIRAC AMDT or AIP AIRAC SUP that will become effective on that date. Trigger NOTAM will remain in force for 14 days. If no information was submitted for publication at the AIRAC date, a NIL notification will be issued by NOTAM no later than one AIRAC cycle before the AIRAC effective date concerned.
Schedule of AIRAC effective dates
