General Aviators now have a range of Airways-endorsed mobile apps to choose from to access the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) and charts – and also access to a refreshed, new-look Airways IFIS website offering pre-flight information and flight planning services.

Airways New Zealand has made these changes as part of a project to improve the tools its customers frequently use. The New Zealand air navigation services provider is committed to ensuring critical aeronautical information remains freely available to support aviation safety – enabling services through modern, effective channels that its customers demand.

Mobile applications for chart and AIP content
Airways has licensed four mobile application providers – three for chart and AIP content, and one for chart content only – in response to feedback from the general aviation community who want to access charts and the AIP via mobile tablets.

Chart content is available via RunwayHD (www.airboxaero.com/nz), while both AIP and chart content are available from OzRunways (www.ozrunways.com), AvPlan (www.avsoft.com.au), and Air Navigation Pro (www.xample.ch/air-navigation).

Trent Clarke, Airways Manager of Aeronautical Information Management, says Airways has altered its AIP source-file structure and set up processes so that licensed app providers can regularly access data updates.

"The provision of pending data 28 days in advance of the effective date ensures their apps remain current and enables their users to familiarise themselves with significant operational changes before they happen. This preparedness contributes to aviation safety." Mr Clarke says.

The AIP continues to be available free-of-charge to the general aviation community on the CAA website www.aip.net.nz.

Mark Adeane, general aviation pilot and Airways Navigation Procedures Designer, has checked out both the Air Navigation Pro app and the Beta version of OzRunways for New Zealand.

"Both apps offer an excellent range of features to support the pilot, while reducing cockpit clutter. These apps are game-changers for the G.A. pilot! " Mr Adeane says.

Changes to the IFIS website
The Airways IFIS website, www.ifis.airways.co.nz, has a refreshed look and is now easier to use.

Changes have been made to support aviation safety and improve usability – for example, news and updates now appear in a prominent noticeboard area within the blue banner.

Other improvements include:
• Amended menus - the most commonly used items appear in the top layer
• Help information is more prominent via links
• The inclusion of a page footer menu
• Integrated access to the AIP shop website www.aipshop.co.nz
• The introduction of "breadcrumbs" (enabling users to navigate back to previous menu pages).

"The changes to IFIS are great, the whole thing looks a lot more modern, and the set-up is much more intuitive," says Paul Hartley, recreational pilot and Airways simulator pilot.

About Airways
• Airways is a world-leading commercial Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), and operates in New Zealand as a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE).
• We look after key aviation infrastructure around New Zealand and manage the more than 1 million traffic movements per year into and around New Zealand’s 30 million sq km of airspace – which is 7% of the world’s total.
• Airways provides air traffic control and engineering training, and has delivered air traffic management, Flightyield revenue management solutions, navigation services and consultancy in more than 65 countries.
• For more information about Airways please visit www.airways.co.nz