ARINC SPECIFICATION 633-2-2012 PDF

Full title and description

ARINC Specification 633-2:2012 — AOC Air‑Ground Data and Message Exchange Format. Supplement 2 to the ARINC 633 series that defines message formats, XML schemas and exchange rules for Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) air‑to‑ground and ground‑to‑ground communications, intended primarily for Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and flight operations data exchanges.

Abstract

Defines the structure, content and XML schema elements used to exchange AOC messages (flight plan, NOTAM, MET/TAF, ATIS, PIREP, crew and passenger lists, hazard advisories, etc.) between airborne systems (notably EFBs) and ground systems. Supplement 2 includes an extensive update to the flight plan schema to align with the ICAO 2012 flight plan format and adds new XML message definitions for weather, ATIS, crew/passenger lists and other operational information.

General information

• Status: Historical / Revised — listed as a historical/superseded supplement in product catalogues; later ARINC 633 supplements and related ARINC documents have been published since 2012.
• Publication date: 1 November 2012 (2012‑11‑01).
• Publisher: Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC) / ARINC industry activities (SAE‑ITC listings show ARINC series editorial participation).
• ICS / categories: Aviation/On‑board equipment and instruments (commonly classified under ICS 49.090 for on‑board equipment / avionics standards).
• Edition / version: Supplement 2 to ARINC 633 — edition year 2012 (ARINC 633 series parts are numbered as -1, -2, -3, etc.).
• Number of pages: Not consistently published in public summaries for this supplement; publisher product listings and archives should be consulted for the exact page count for the official published PDF.

Scope

Specifies message content, element definitions and XML schema structures required to support exchange of selected AOC air‑ground and ground‑ground messages. The scope covers message-level semantics, required and optional data elements, payload structures for EFB‑oriented briefing packages (Electronic Flight Folder / EFF), and interoperability guidelines to simplify integration of AOC software across airlines and aircraft types. Supplement 2 brings the flight plan schema into alignment with ICAO 2012 flight plan rules and adds several new message types (airport weather, ATIS, crew/passenger lists, NOTAM, PIREP, hazard advisory).

Key topics and requirements

• Formal XML schemas for AOC message types (flight plan, NOTAM, MET/TAF, ATIS, PIREP, crew/passenger lists, hazard advisory, etc.).
• Flight plan schema updated to match ICAO 2012 flight plan format and field semantics.
• Message element definitions, required/optional flags and example values to promote supplier interoperability.
• Guidance for packaging Electronic Flight Folder (EFF) briefing data for delivery to EFBs.
• Backward compatibility notes and mapping from earlier ARINC AOC message formats where applicable.
• Operational use cases for air‑to‑ground and ground‑to‑ground exchanges (push/pull, notifications, and updates).

Typical use and users

Airlines and flight operations departments (flight planning and dispatch), EFB application developers and integrators, avionics suppliers, ground operations/airport systems, air navigation service providers and systems integrators implementing AOC data exchange capabilities between aircraft and ground. The standard is deployed where structured, machine‑readable briefing and operational data must be delivered to crew devices or processed by ground systems.

Related standards

Associated ARINC specifications and documents frequently used with ARINC 633-2 include the base ARINC 633 series (other supplements -1, -3, -4, -5), ARINC 635 series (HF/ACARS related) and later ARINC documents that consolidate or replace certain functions (commercial product catalogues indicate ARINC 633-2 was followed in the ARINC portfolio by ARINC 633 later supplements and that ARINC 635-4 was superseded by parts of ARINC 633-2). Some ARINC documents that reference or interact with AOC messaging and software packaging include ARINC 615, ARINC 641 (and later ARINC 641-1) and other transport/packaging standards. For exact normative relationships check the reference section of the official ARINC publications.

Keywords

AOC, air‑ground data, message exchange, ARINC 633, XML schema, EFB, Electronic Flight Folder (EFF), flight plan (ICAO 2012), NOTAM, MET/TAF, ATIS, PIREP, ACARS, avionics interoperability.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ARINC 633-2:2012 is Supplement 2 of the ARINC 633 series titled "AOC Air‑Ground Data and Message Exchange Format" — a specification defining message formats and XML schemas for Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) data exchanges between aircraft (notably EFBs) and ground systems.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the structure and content of AOC messages (flight plans, NOTAM, weather/ATIS, PIREP, crew/passenger lists, hazard advisories and related operational messages), XML schema definitions, element semantics and interoperability guidance, including a flight plan schema update aligned to ICAO 2012.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Airlines (flight operations and dispatch), EFB and avionics developers, ground system integrators, and service providers exchanging operational data with aircraft.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2012 supplement is listed as a historical/revised item in standards catalogues and product listings; subsequent ARINC 633 supplements and other ARINC documents have been published since 2012. Some catalogues list ARINC 633-2 as superseded in part by later ARINC publications (for example product listings indicate related ARINC documents in 2015 and later). For authoritative current status consult the ARINC/SAE‑ITC publisher or the most recent ARINC 633 supplement.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Supplement 2 of the ARINC 633 family. ARINC 633 is published as a multipart series (‑1, ‑2, ‑3, etc.), with later supplements (for example ARINC 633-3, -4, -5 and consolidated editions) released after 2012.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: AOC, air‑ground, message exchange, XML schema, EFB, Electronic Flight Folder, flight plan, NOTAM, MET/TAF, ATIS, ARINC 633.