Sept. 17, 2019
Nav Canada announced it will transition to an international format and new website for publishing NOTAMs beginning in October.
This announcement correlates with work being done in the U.S. by the Aeronautical Information System (AIS) Reform Coalition, a joint government/industry working group. A key goal of the AIS Reform Coalition is to harmonize aeronautical information with global standards.
“Pilot Web [the internet search function connected to the FAA’s legacy NOTAM system] is not in compliance with ICAO standards, which makes it more challenging for international pilots to decipher messages. It also doesn’t allow pilots to sort and filter according to category,” said Abigail Smith, FAA’s director of air traffic organization technical training and co-chair of the AIS Reform Coalition. “Moreover, our customers did not have a single office to go to for questions, support and assistance about NOTAMs and Aeronautical Information, which can result in confusion, inconsistent messaging and slow results.”
The FAA will sunset Pilot Web on Jan. 24, 2020, after which NOTAM inquiries will be directed to the NOTAM Search System. NOTAM Search is a modern, web-based search site that allows for easier sorting, filtering and keyword searches.
NOTAM Search is available now and pilots are encouraged to use this tool when researching NOTAM information. The FAA also encourages pilots and other users of the system to provide feedback on the new system.
“Our goal is to create a system that works best for the user. We welcome feedback from pilots on the best ways to educate and prepare them with the information they need for the safest possible flight,” added Smith. “We’re looking for feedback on how to improve NOTAM Search, on what they wished they knew when they first became pilots, feedback on how they believe they can find the NOTAMs most relevant to their route of flight and anything else that improves the system.”
“Until the AIS Reform Coalition, there was no central contact for customers to go to regarding aeronautical data,” said Heidi Williams, NBAA’s director of air traffic services and infrastructure and business aviation’s representative on the AIS Reform Coalition. “The FAA is being very responsive to industry concerns through the AIS Reform Coalition and NBAA encourages pilots to use the new system and provide feedback to the FAA to ensure the system provides accurate information.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.