Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)
Where do you look up an aerodrome's operating hours, the frequencies for a control zone, or the boundaries of a restricted area? The answer is the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) — a State's official reference book for all lasting aeronautical information. As a PPL pilot you will use it in every flight preparation, and the exam expects you to know its purpose, its three-part structure and where key information is found.
What the AIP is
Under ICAO Annex 15 (Aeronautical Information Services), every State publishes an AIP: the official document containing aeronautical information of a lasting character essential to the safe and efficient conduct of air navigation in that State. It is the primary source for long-validity data. Time-critical or temporary changes are not published in the AIP itself — they are promulgated by NOTAM, while regular scheduled changes come as AIP amendments (including AIRAC amendments) and explanatory material as Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC).
The three-part structure: GEN, ENR, AD
The AIP has a standardised three-part structure, identical in every State — so once you can navigate one AIP, you can navigate them all.
Part 1 — GEN (General)
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| GEN 0 | Preface, record of amendments and AICs |
| GEN 1 | National regulations and requirements (entry, customs, health) |
| GEN 2 | Tables and codes (ICAO location indicators, units, abbreviations, time zones) |
| GEN 3 | Services (AIS, charts, air traffic services, search and rescue, meteorology) |
| GEN 4 | Charges for aerodromes and air navigation services |
Part 2 — ENR (En-Route)
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| ENR 1 | General rules and procedures (rules of the air, altimeter setting, VFR/IFR, ATS procedures) |
| ENR 2 | ATS airspace (FIR, UIR, controlled airspace) |
| ENR 3 | ATS routes (lower and upper airspace) |
| ENR 4 | Radio navigation aids and systems (VOR, NDB, DME, GNSS) |
| ENR 5 | Navigation warnings: prohibited (P), restricted (R) and danger (D) areas, military exercise and training areas, obstacles |
| ENR 6 | En-route charts |
For VFR pilots, ENR 5 deserves special attention: this is where you check the special-use airspace along your route.
Part 3 — AD (Aerodromes)
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| AD 0 | Preface |
| AD 1 | Aerodrome availability and general conditions |
| AD 2 | One entry per aerodrome (subsections AD 2.1–2.24): location, operating hours, ATS, lighting, runway data, charts and procedures |
| AD 3 | Heliports |
The AIP also contains charts for visual flight; many States, including Germany, publish these in a separate AIP VFR volume.
Europe and Germany
In the EU, the provision of aeronautical information services is regulated by Regulation (EU) 2017/373, Annex VI (Part-AIS), with contents following ICAO Annex 15; each Member State publishes its own national AIP. The AIP Germany is published by DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), in two volumes:
- AIP IFR — the main volume, IFR-oriented, in the full GEN/ENR/AD structure.
- AIP VFR Germany — VFR-oriented, with aerodrome data and visual approach charts for VFR aerodromes and VFR procedures.
Access is digital via the DFS website and the DFS Aeronautical Information Service Centre (AIS-C) in Frankfurt. For your flight preparation the AIP is authoritative: commercial flight-planning apps merely repackage its data.
Exam essentials
- The AIP is the State's official publication of aeronautical information of a lasting character (ICAO Annex 15).
- Temporary and short-notice information goes into NOTAMs; scheduled permanent changes come as AIP amendments (AIRAC); explanatory material as AICs.
- The AIP has three parts: GEN (general), ENR (en-route), AD (aerodromes) — the structure is internationally standardised.
- ENR 5 contains navigation warnings: prohibited, restricted and danger areas and military exercise areas.
- AD 2 contains one detailed entry per aerodrome, including runways, lighting, ATS and charts.
- In the EU, AIS provision is governed by Regulation (EU) 2017/373 (Part-AIS); the German AIP is published by DFS in an IFR volume and a separate AIP VFR.