Narrative:

While at the gate reading NOTAMS for our flight from ZZZZ to rjaa, because they are so condensed that nearly every word seems to be an acronym, we had trouble understanding just what the NOTAMS said. There were 2 that caught my attention for rjaa, indicating that both runways were closed. I have since found out that 'item D' of the ICAO NOTAM format does not show up on our company's printed NOTAMS, which is what the pilots have to go by. That line in each NOTAM would have told us, if we could understand what it said, the specific daily hours of operation. We sent an ACARS message to our dispatcher, who quickly informed us which runway was in use I'm afraid that the terrible format company pilots are forced to read NOTAMS in could lead to a violation, or something worse. With the present state-of-the-art home computers with windows available just about anywhere in the world, company needs to upgrade so our worldwide operation isn't put at risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTL B777-200 FLT CREW COORD VIA COMPANY DISPATCH TO VALIDATE INTL NOTAM TEXT FOR DEST AND DISCOVER COMPANY NOTAM SVC STRUCTURE HAS DELETED NECESSARY TEXT ITEMS AFFECTING RWY CLOSURES.

Narrative: WHILE AT THE GATE READING NOTAMS FOR OUR FLT FROM ZZZZ TO RJAA, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO CONDENSED THAT NEARLY EVERY WORD SEEMS TO BE AN ACRONYM, WE HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING JUST WHAT THE NOTAMS SAID. THERE WERE 2 THAT CAUGHT MY ATTN FOR RJAA, INDICATING THAT BOTH RWYS WERE CLOSED. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT 'ITEM D' OF THE ICAO NOTAM FORMAT DOES NOT SHOW UP ON OUR COMPANY'S PRINTED NOTAMS, WHICH IS WHAT THE PLTS HAVE TO GO BY. THAT LINE IN EACH NOTAM WOULD HAVE TOLD US, IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT IT SAID, THE SPECIFIC DAILY HRS OF OP. WE SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO OUR DISPATCHER, WHO QUICKLY INFORMED US WHICH RWY WAS IN USE I'M AFRAID THAT THE TERRIBLE FORMAT COMPANY PLTS ARE FORCED TO READ NOTAMS IN COULD LEAD TO A VIOLATION, OR SOMETHING WORSE. WITH THE PRESENT STATE-OF-THE-ART HOME COMPUTERS WITH WINDOWS AVAILABLE JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, COMPANY NEEDS TO UPGRADE SO OUR WORLDWIDE OP ISN'T PUT AT RISK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.