The development of the Electronic AIP Specification (eAIP) is a major EUROCONTROL initiative in the drive towards paperless AIS and the potential this has in achieving the required integrity of data and enhanced data selection and distribution.
The eAIP Specification and its associated guidance material have been developed between the years 2000-2004 as a project of the AIS AHEAD Programme. It provides a standard way to:
publish the content of an AIP (including AMDT, SUP and AIC) in a structured electronic format;
visualise the content of an AIP on a computer screen, using Web technology.
The eAIP Specification is fully compliant with the ICAO requirements for AIP content and structure, as laid down in ICAO Annex 15. In addition, the eAIP Specification enforces a strict application of the ICAO requirements concerning the AIP structure.
The use of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) for the eAIP Specification guarantees that the eAIP is a true electronic document. The information content is completely separated from presentation, which, in turn, may be tailored to every target media.
The central component of the eAIP Specification is the eAIP Document Type Definition (DTD). This is complemented by additional rules, stylesheets, security considerations, etc. A series of eAIP Manuals are also provided, each targeting a specific stakeholder category: users, editors and developers.
The eAIP Specification has undergone comprehensive testing and validation, which have been completed mainly through pilot implementations initiated in Belgium, Slovenia, The Netherlands, Armenia, Moldavia, Germany, Slovak Republic, Italy and Latvia. The contribution of these States to the development of the eAIP Specification is hereby acknowledged.