© 2016 Jav Zamor / Ramen In East Asia, between the borders of Russia and China, lies Mongolia: a stunning, windswept, ruggedly vast place that exists both as a place where old traditions are kept alive, and where new technologies and ways of life are rapidly taking shape. The traditional Mongolian ger, a small, round structure that can be easily packed up and moved, is still utilized in some parts of the country as housing. In other parts, however, brand new skyscrapers are being erected at a dizzying pace. For millennia, Mongolia has been known as a land of horseback riding. The Mongolian horse still serves as a national symbol, but things are quickly shifting away from man’s first four-legged friend around the country. Even in the vast, rugged expanses of Mongolia, motorized vehicles are being adopted en masse. And for those wishing to go a bit further, long rides across the steppe, changing to another horse as the one before tires out, over thousands and thousands of miles, is no longer the international transport option of choice. At Chinggis Khaan International Airport, just outside of Mongolia’s capital and largest city Ulaanbaatar, the thousands of flights land and take off every day. Since 2012, the airport has been accommodating over 1 million travelers each year, growing from only handling around half that number in 2006. Airlines from all over the world utilize the airport, and Mongolia, like any country, has its own distinct rules and regulations for air travel. With the increases in air travel all over the country, it is of high importance to keep things running smoothly as traffic increases. This means protocols, order, and expectations must be established. To keep track of, collect, collate, categorize, organize, and publish these rules and regulations, Mongolia has created the AIS, the Aeronautical Information Services Division, in accordance with the Chicago Convention on International Aviation, which was ratified in 1989. The AIS is a member of IFAIMA, the International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management Associations, and is based in Ulaanbaatar. 
© 2016 Jav Zamor / Ramen The AIS Division is charged with many duties, but most central to its mission is creating, maintaining, and disseminating the national Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), which contains all of the information needed to conduct flights within the airspace of Mongolia. The challenge is, of course, in organizing the information in a way that makes it easily accessible and useful to those who need it. AIS is one of the world’s best in making information easy to understand, even though the rules and regulations can be complex at times. Secondly, AIS has created the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), which serves as a notification for modifications to the AIP within 3 months of changes being made. With such a quickly developing Airline sector, changes are not out of the ordinary. This is why AIS is responsible for creating, writing, publishing, and disseminating amendments made to the AIP on a regular basis to all 24 airports in Mongolia. It also publishes a periodical Aeronautical Information Circular, which is a publication that contains any other relevant information for people and corporations operating flights in and out of Mongolia. For AIS, Quality and Quality Management are essential aspects of completing its mission. Accuracy, crystal clear writing, and precision in information conveyance, combined with timeliness and flexibility as rules change and are updated. AIS is ISO certified, with the 9001–2010 certification for Quality Management. AIS is currently transitioning to an AIM (Aeronautical Information Management) system, changing its process from a paper-based document system to an electronic, computer-based system. This will allow even more flexibility and ease of information sharing in the future, giving the Division an advantage in completing its important work. For its focus on Quality Management, its lightning-fast responses to regulatory changes, and its excellence as a distiller of complicated information, Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) Division from Mongolia is being awarded the 2016 BID Quality Award, one of the most prestigious honors for organizational quality and excellence in the world.
ABOUT BID AND THE INTERNATIONAL ARCH OF EUROPE AWARD:
BID is a private and independent organization founded in 1984, whose primary activity is business communication orientated towards quality, excellence and innovation in management. A leader in the broadcasting of Quality Culture, BID recognizes those companies and organizations which lead the most important activities in the business world, and is considered the founding organization in the broadcasting of the Culture of Quality, Excellence and Innovation in 179 countries. The trophy symbolizes a pledge to the principles of Quality Culture. The QC100 Total Quality Management Model, together with the Quality Mix program, media coverage of the convention and its impact on the community and business sector, create an unmatched platform for continuous improvement within the organization and awareness of the achievements of the company at an international level. Awards are given only to those who are committed to improving their Quality Culture based on the principles of the QC100 Total Quality Management Model. Candidates are proposed by the leaders of previously awarded companies who they consider worthy of the award. Especially meritorious candidates may also be nominated. The International BID Quality Award Selection Committee then chooses the winning companies who will receive the award in New York, Paris, Geneva, Frankfurt, Madrid and London.