Aviation industry steps forward on information exchange

Airservices Australia has released a tender for an independent consultant to help them investigate whether the "decision information network" project -- branded Aerobank -- is in fact viable. The release follows a meeting of aviation industry stakeholders in October last year which endorsed the move to the definition stage of the project. The consultant is expected to kick off their work in March and be finished by October.

The Aerobank project is designed to deliver an information exchange whereby air traffic management stakeholders such as airlines, airports, the Defence Department, the Bureau of Meteorology and Airservices Australia can access and contribute to what Airservices officials describe as "key flight and situational decision-making".

The end-result, according to Airservices Australia, is to deliver an "information-rich" planning and operating environment that will provide timely and high-quality operational information to all air traffic management stakeholders.

This would yield improvements in areas such as flight planning decisions, fuel, cargo and passenger loading and allocation of terminal facilities.

The definition stage, or stage two of the project, is due for completion in November 2005. The successful consultant must help deliver a solution model which includes the standards, protocols and system architecture for Aerobank. Movement to the final stage of the project will be based on approvals of the second stage of the project by Airservices Australia's management.