Definition
Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) is the FAA office responsible for collecting, maintaining, and publishing the official aeronautical information used by pilots, including instrument approach procedures, departure procedures, arrival procedures, airport diagrams, and the data shown on FAA charts. It is the authoritative source for the published procedures and chart products that flight crews rely on for instrument flight.
Plain English
The FAA group that creates and updates the official charts, approach plates, and airport diagrams pilots use. When you look at an FAA instrument chart or airport diagram, the information on it came from this office.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of airport sketches, airport diagrams, charting, and published instrument procedure information.
Derivation
‘Aeronautical’ comes from the Greek roots for ‘air’ and ‘sailing,’ meaning ‘relating to flight.’ ‘Information Services’ describes the office's role: providing the flight information pilots need. The name simply states what the office does — it is the service that supplies aeronautical information.
Why Pilots Care
The charts and procedures published by AIS are the legal, official versions used in IFR flight. Knowing where authoritative chart data comes from helps pilots use current, valid products and avoid outdated or unofficial sources.
Intuition Check
Do not read “services” as a person you call for help in flight. Here it means an official information function that produces and maintains published aviation data.
Example Sentence 1
The airport diagram in the approach booklet is published by Aeronautical Information Services and updated on a regular cycle.
Example Sentence 2
Before a flight, the pilot checked updates issued by Aeronautical Information Services for any new obstacles near the airport.