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The Performance Information Exchange Model (PIXM) enables the seamless sharing of Aircraft Performance Data between airlines, airspace-users and aviation stakeholders, supporting more informed decision-making across the industry.
PIXM is a standardized data exchange framework developed to enhance SCAP (Standard Computerized Aircraft Performance) using XML (JSON formats for Electronic flight Bags).
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Modern aviation systems like System Wide Information Management (SWIM) are powerful, but they lack a critical component: the airspace user perspective, especially regarding aircraft performance. PIXM fills this gap by:
- Improving operational efficiency for airlines and air navigation service providers
- Enabling better integration of aircraft performance data into collaborative decision-making systems
- Supporting interoperability across platforms and stakeholders
- Enhancing safety and predictability in flight operations
IATA has played a key role in the development and deployment of PIXM through:
- Managing the initiative
- Designing the schema in collaboration with industry experts
- Promoting awareness and adoption across the aviation ecosystem
PIXM is fully implemented. The model is complete, tested, and available for use by airlines, ANSPs, OEMs, and other aviation stakeholders.
Learn more about PIXM, access the schema, and join the industry-wide effort to improve aircraft performance data sharing by contacting iataperformance@iata.org.
Aircraft performance is essential for the safety and efficiency of flight operations. However, data needed for this task is often poorly correlated and fragmented, the data exists but in different places and formats, and several standards-based structures frame its exchange but not its integration. With the increase in computing power, digital solutions have emerged and are available, but even so the defined data remains disconnected and labor-intensive.
The Standard Computerized Aircraft Performance (SCAP) initiative helped standardize data formats and reduce development efforts. It should be noted SCAP operates within a cooperative environment and does not fully address broader industry challenges - particularly the lack of integration with System Wide Information Management (SWIM), which do not reflect the airspace user perspective. PIXM was created to fill this gap.
PIXM introduces a performance-defined data exchange model that:
- Captures aircraft capabilities such as payload, climb rates, stall speeds, cruise profiles, and runway requirements
- Accounts for environmental and operational conditions (e.g., altitude, temperature, weight) that affect performance
- Enables contextual performance calculations, such as take-off distances under varying conditions
PIXM supports a wide range of operational scenarios:
- Airport Collaboration: Sharing extended obstacle data and enabling special procedure approvals
- ATC Integration: Awareness of Engine Out (EO) procedures and EOSID (Engine Out SID) coding
- Operational Optimization: Moving beyond regulatory-only take-off optimization to include noise, cost, and SID constraints
- Escape Route Planning: Defining decision points and alternate airport routing
- Pilot Briefing Enhancements: Displaying performance-relevant data such as runway contamination, liftoff points, and climb gradients
- NOTAM Integration: Including temporal and performance-relevant NOTAMs in calculations
PIXM is to be a comprehensive aircraft performance data exchange structure, aligned with the Air Traffic Management Information Reference Model (AIRM) vocabulary and referencing standards like AIXM, FIXM, and WXXM. It is designed to:
- Support EOSID coding with real-world obstacle data
- Integrate runway condition models (e.g., GRF and GRF2.0)
- Enable all-engine climb gradient analysis
- Include performance calculations, weight & balance data, and temporal NOTAMs
PIXM will be governed by a Change Control Board (CCB) to ensure industry-wide collaboration and evolution, composed of:
- Airline and OEM Performance Engineers
- Software developers from 3rd Party Providers
- Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) Engineers/Developers