UTM commences with Airservices release of its requirements for a Flight Information Management System

Airservices Australia, the national civil Air Navigation Service Provider, has taken a major step forward in the development of a new platform linking unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with Australia’s air traffic management structure.

Airservices has today released its Request for Information (RFI) for the development of a Flight Information Management System (FIMS) Prototype to be built with industry partners over coming months.
FIMS is a data exchange gateway that connects UAS Traffic Management (UTM) participants with Australia’s air traffic management system.

The objective is to make relevant airspace information available to airspace users, enabling the provision of a range of government and industry services and ensuring that Australian airspace is managed in an integrated manner.

Executive General Manager for Customer Service Enhancement, Ms Michelle Bennetts, said that Airservices had consulted widely with industry both in Australia and overseas to inform its approach to developing a FIMS. This complemented the work underway within government, including the aviation safety regulator, to ensure a consistent, whole of government approach is taken to UTM development.

“This RFI is seeking to identify the FIMS requirements and functionality necessary to ensure emerging airspace users, such as drones and proposed air taxis, are safely integrated into Australia’s overall air traffic management system with other piloted aircraft. Through this RFI, we will better understand industry capability to deliver a future operational FIMS solution and more broadly UTM for Australia”.

Airservices is taking an innovative, multi-stage approach. It is seeking information from industry on the functional requirements of a FIMS, to inform an approach to market to build a number of FIMS prototypes with the intention of selecting a preferred partner to deliver the operational FIMS solution for Australia.

The RFI will be open for six weeks.