ATIS — Automatic Terminal Information Service

General (ICAO)

ATIS — Automatic Terminal Information Service is, per ICAO Annex 11 §4.3.6 and ICAO Doc 4444 PANS-ATM §11.4, an automatically and continuously broadcast aeronautical message containing the current, essential aerodrome and weather information for arriving and departing aircraft.

Purpose: Off-loads ATC frequencies, as standard information need not be transmitted individually by the controller.

Transmission means:

• Voice-ATIS on a dedicated VHF frequency (continuously active at commercial airports),
• D-ATIS (Digital ATIS) via CPDLC/ACARS for suitably equipped aircraft.

Content of an ATIS message (Doc 4444 §11.4.3):

1. Identifier letter (Information "Alpha", "Bravo", …) — sequential per NATO alphabet,
2. Time of observation (UTC),
3. Approach type and runway in use,
4. Runway state (if relevant),
5. Transition level,
6. Essential operational information (e.g. ILS unserviceable, noise abatement procedures),
7. Weather:
   • Surface wind (direction/speed, gusts, variations),
   • Visibility / RVR,
   • Present weather phenomena (RA, TS, FG, …),
   • Clouds,
   • Temperature and dew point,
   • QNH (and QFE if applicable),
   • Other weather information (wind shear, SIGMET reference),
8. Trend forecast (TREND, if available),
9. Request to acknowledge: "Acknowledge receipt of information [Alpha] on initial contact."

Update: ATIS is refreshed at least hourly; on any significant change immediately. Each new issue receives the next identifier letter.

Pilot obligation: The current ATIS information must be obtained before initial contact with ATC; on first contact the pilot confirms with the identifier letter: "… with information Alpha".

Europe (EASA / EU)

Regulation (EU) 2017/373 Annex IV (Part-ATS) requires ATIS provision at commercial airports with relevant traffic levels. Standard format per ICAO Doc 4444.

Germany (national)

Provision: DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung at the commercial airports (FRA, MUC, DUS, HAM, STR, CGN, …) and some major regional airports.

Frequencies per aerodrome published in AIP Germany AD 2.18 (often with suffix "ATIS" alongside the TWR frequency). At VFR aerodromes typically no ATIS — instead AFIS or TWR information on the approach frequency.