Automating Aeronautical Information Management: A Geospatial Big Data Approach in India

The Indian National Electronic Terrain Repository for Aviation, or iNetra, is a comprehensive geospatial big data platform designed to revolutionize aeronautical data management for the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is the airport developer and sole Air Navigation Service Provider in India. SatSure developed this multi-module system, which helps transition from traditional paper-based processes to an automated, digital workflow aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices. The platform integrates advanced technologies, including high-resolution satellite imagery, PostgreSQL database management, and Geographic Information System (GIS) functionalities, for efficient data acquisition, processing, storage, and visualization. Some of the key modules include Electronic Terrain and Obstacle Data (eTOD), Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB), and Electronic Charting (eCharting), deployed across five international airports in India. iNetra addresses critical challenges in aeronautical data management by providing dynamic, time-stamped, and validated data ingestion capabilities. The global standards which the system upholds are supported by strong data security protocols, such as a 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check. Seamless data exchange, removal of redundant operations, and the support for transforming an Aeronautical Information Service into an Aeronautical Information Management and thus make iNetra mark a technological frontier in the evolution of aviation information management in India.