General (ICAO)

The Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) is, per ICAO Annex 15, a State's official, long-term valid aeronautical information document. It contains all information of a lasting character essential to the safe and efficient conduct of international air navigation in that State.

Purpose (Annex 15 §6.1): The AIP is the primary source of long-validity aeronautical data; supplemented by NOTAMs, AIRAC amendments and AICs.

Structure — three parts (Annex 15 Appendix 1):

GEN — General

GEN 0: Preface, record of amendments, record of AICs.
GEN 1: National regulations and requirements (entry, customs, health, AIP distribution).
GEN 2: Tables and codes (ICAO location indicators, units of measurement, abbreviations, geographic coordinates, time zones).
GEN 3: Services (AIS, charts, air traffic services, search and rescue, meteorology).
GEN 4: Charges for aerodromes and air navigation services.

ENR — En-Route

ENR 1: General rules and procedures (rules of the air, altimetry, VFR/IFR, ATS procedures).
ENR 2: Air traffic services airspace (FIR, UIR, controlled airspace, MATZ).
ENR 3: ATS routes (lower and upper airspace).
ENR 4: Radio navigation aids/systems (VOR, NDB, DME, GNSS).
ENR 5: Navigation warnings — prohibited (P), restricted (R), danger (D) areas, military exercise areas, obstacle-rich areas.
ENR 6: En-route charts.

AD — Aerodromes

AD 0: Preface.
AD 1: Aerodrome availability.
AD 2: Aerodromes — one entry per IFR-equipped airport (AD 2.1 to AD 2.24) covering location, operating hours, ATC, lighting, visual approach charts, instrument approach procedures, runway strips and dimensions.
AD 3: Heliports.

The AIP also contains VFR charts for visual flight, often published as a separate AIP VFR volume.

Europe (EASA / EU)

Regulation (EU) 2017/373 Annex VI (Part-AIS) regulates AIS provision EU-wide; contents per ICAO Annex 15. Each Member State publishes its own national AIP.

Germany (national)

AIP Germany is published by DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH on behalf of BMDV. Two volumes:

AIP IFR — main volume, IFR-oriented, follows the GEN/ENR/AD structure above.
AIP VFR Germany — VFR-oriented; contains aerodrome data with visual charts of uncontrolled and special-purpose controlled aerodromes, plus VFR procedures.

Access: digital via the DFS website (free access to GEN/ENR core data) and via the DFS Aeronautical Information Service Centre (AIS-C) in Frankfurt. Mandatory for flight preparation.