Find official aeronautical charts for Ireland in the AirNav Ireland AIP, including en-route, airport, SID, STAR and approach chart locations.
Official aeronautical charts for Ireland are published through AirNav Ireland’s Aeronautical Information Service in the Ireland AIP/IAIP. Use ENR 6 for en-route charts and each aerodrome’s AD 2.24 section for airport, SID, STAR and approach plates. Check AIP amendments, supplements and NOTAMs before any real-world flight.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying, the authority source matters: third-party moving maps and chart collections may be convenient, but they are not substitutes for Ireland’s official aeronautical information.
How do you find charts in the Ireland AIP?
- Start with AirNav Ireland. Find the Aeronautical Information Service or Integrated Aeronautical Information Package on the official AirNav Ireland site. Avoid opening an isolated PDF from a search result because it may be an obsolete amendment or cached chart.
- Open the applicable AIP section. Use
GEN 3.2for the official chart catalogue and availability information,ENR 6for en-route material, orAD 2for a particular aerodrome. - Choose the aerodrome’s chart index. Within an AD 2 entry,
AD 2.24lists the charts related to that airport. This is where airport diagrams, parking charts, SIDs, STARs, instrument approaches and visual approach charts are normally indexed. - Verify the effective date. Check the chart itself and the relevant AIP Amendment. Then review AIP Supplements and NOTAMs for temporary or short-notice changes that have not been drawn on the plate.
If the structure is unfamiliar, our explanation of how to locate national AIS and en-route chart indexes covers the same publication logic used by Ireland.
Which Irish aeronautical chart do you need?
| Requirement | Official place to check | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| IFR en-route planning | ENR 6 | ATS routes, reporting points, controlled airspace and radio-navigation information |
| Airport ground operations | AD 2.24 | Aerodrome, parking and ground-movement charts |
| Departure or arrival | AD 2.24 | SID and STAR charts where published |
| Instrument approach | AD 2.24 | ILS, RNP, VOR or other published approach procedures |
| National VFR chart | GEN 3.2 chart catalogue | Edition, scale and official availability or purchase details |
Ireland’s national VFR chart may be distributed separately from the individual AIP plates. Consult GEN 3.2 rather than assuming a free PDF or an online map is the complete official VFR product. For help interpreting the symbols and information once downloaded, see our practical aeronautical chart-reading guide.
How can you tell whether an Irish chart is valid?
A valid chart must have the right effective date and must be read with later amendments, supplements and NOTAMs. The date on which a PDF was downloaded proves nothing about its operational status.
- Compare the chart’s effective or revision information with the applicable AIP Amendment.
- Check AIP Supplements for temporary changes lasting longer than a typical NOTAM.
- Check NOTAMs for runway restrictions, navaid outages, procedure suspensions and other short-notice changes.
- Do not treat an AIRAC date alone as proof that every temporary operational change appears graphically.
A mistake we see constantly is saving a direct chart URL and returning to the same PDF months later. Enter through the official AIP index instead; a replacement chart may have a new document address or title.
Are Northern Ireland charts included?
Northern Ireland uses United Kingdom aeronautical information, not the Ireland AIP. Airports such as Belfast International and George Best Belfast City therefore require the applicable UK authority charts, even when a flight starts or ends in the Republic of Ireland.
Do not choose the publication solely by geographical proximity. Use the state responsible for the aerodrome or airspace, and pay particular attention to cross-border routes where both information packages may be needed.
Can you use Ireland AIP charts in a flight simulator?
Yes, official Irish charts are useful in flight simulators, but the chart cycle should match the simulator’s navigation database whenever possible. A procedure can be renamed, redesigned or removed while an older simulator database still contains the previous version.
For offline simulation, either update the simulator’s navdata to match the chart cycle or retain a legitimately obtained chart edition matching the installed data. Never use an old matching set for real-world planning. Access also does not automatically grant permission to redistribute the PDFs; our guide to using official charts legally in a simulator explains the distinction between personal use, licensing and republication.