Need Help?

Seamless and efficient exchange of flight information within the aviation industry requires the development and use of consistent practices, rules and principles.

To facilitate this exchange of data and to standardize schedule/slot data handling procedures, the Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) is published annually.

The SSIM is the official set of standards, guiding the industry with recommended practices, messaging formats and data processing procedures that are to be used by all IATA member airlines and their business partners for the exchange of airline schedules, communication of airport coordination information and minimum connect time data.

Order the SSIM Online

If you are new to the SSIM, all versions are updated annually. Digital products come with automatic updates for the year and a search function that makes finding current information easy. Plus, it's cheaper.

Need Help?

What’s inside the SSIM?

  • Chapter 2 – Information Required for Standard Schedules (Data Requirements, Data Representation, Data Elements and Data Element Identifiers)
  • Chapter 3 – Standard Print Layouts for Schedules Information (Data Elements Required, Code Sharing Flights, Plan Change, Examples)
  • Chapter 4 – Standard Schedules Message Procedure (Principles and Rules, Messaging Standards, Technical Message Specification)
  • Chapter 5 – Ad hoc Schedules Message Procedure (Principles and Rules, Message Standards, Technical Specification, Technical Message Specification)
  • Chapter 6 – Airport Coordination Procedures (Principles and Rules, Standard Procedures and Messages, Message Standards, Message Specifications)
  • Chapter 7 – Presentation and Transfer of a Schedule Data Set (Principles for the Transfer of Computerized Schedules, Computerized Schedules Constraints, Application)
  • Chapter 8 – Presentation, Application, and Transfer of Minimum Connecting Time (MCT) Data (Establishing MCTs, Practice for the Submission of MCTs, Application)
  • Appendix A IATA Aircraft Types (Aircraft Type Codes, Aircraft Group Codes, ICAO Codes)
  • Appendix B Meal Service Codes
  • Appendix C Service Types
  • Appendix D Passenger Terminal Indicators (Assignment Principles, List of Passenger Terminals)
  • Appendix F UTC-Local Time Comparisons and ISO Two letter Country Codes (ISO country code, time Zone, Standard variation to UTC, Daylight Saving Time information)
  • Appendix G Traffic Restriction Codes Table
  • Appendix H Explanatory Notes on SSIM Applications
  • Appendix I Region Codes (Region codes, IATA TC areas, ISO country codes)
  • Appendix J Information Codes for Use in the Airport Coordination Process (Additional information Codes, Coordinator Reason Codes)
  • Appendix K General Aviation Slot Clearance Request
  • Attachment 3 MCT Coordinator Contacts

Still not sure the SSIM is for you? Download the full table of contents

What’s new in the SSIM?

Every year, the SSIM is published to keep the industry up-to-date on the latest standardization in technique, format and conventions in airlines schedules data.

Effective March 1st, 2024, the 34th edition SSIM significant changes include:

  • Chapter 2 -  Action Code ‘E’  removed.  New  Change Reason – ‘OTHR’ added. Clarification added for Data Elements: Leg Sequence Number, Scheduled Time of Passenger Arrival (Passenger STA) and Scheduled Time of Passenger Departure (Passenger STD)
  • Chapter 6 -  Removal of ‘E’ and ‘Eliminate’ under Slot Clearance Request/Reply (SCR), Schedule Movement Advise/Reply (SMA) and Waitlist Change/Reply (WCR)
  • Appendix A – New and revised Aircraft Type Codes. New aircraft category added - Drone.
  • Appendix D – New and revised Passenger Terminal entries
  • Appendix F – Daylight Saving Time information for 2024-2025 and 2026
  • Appendix I– Croatia added to Schengen agreement countries
  • Terminal Registration and Change Request form to be used for the submission of the Passenger Terminal amendments for inclusion in Appendix D is available in the eSSIM and on the plan standard board page
  • Appendix A, D, F and I data TXT files available in Toolbox (eSSIM) 
  • Watchlist for potential new aircrafts, airports and passenger terminals (eSSIM)