Online Data Interchange (OLDI) is a vital protocol that helps air traffic control units share current flight data seamlessly. Its journey began in the 1990s in Europe, with a clear goal: to automate the exchange of coordination and flight information. This automation ensures that messages are delivered on time and accurately. To make OLDI work effectively, various agencies collaborated to create common rules and message formats. This initiative is a key part of the Single European Sky (SES) project. According to Regulation 1032/2006, all air traffic control units managing general air traffic must adopt OLDI by 2009. Each OLDI link is required to maintain a reliability rate of at least 99.86%, which translates to less than 12 hours of downtime each year.
The benefits of OLDI are significant. It automates routine information exchanges, allowing controllers to concentrate on more complex tasks like conflict detection and resolution. This leads to a reduced workload for controllers since there is less need for verbal coordination. Additionally, OLDI enhances situational awareness and indirectly boosts the safety features of air traffic systems, such as Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD).
OLDI messages are categorized into three main types:
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Category 1: Transfer of Communication
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Category 2: Coordination
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Category 3: Notification
Each category has specific timeouts. For example, Category 1 messages have a timeout of 4 seconds, while Category 2 and 3 messages have timeouts of 10 and 15 seconds, respectively.
Here are some frequently used OLDI messages. These explanations provide a basic understanding of the messages rather than a complete description. For detailed specifications, refer to the official OLDI documentation.
