Aeronautical Message Handling Systems

As demand for aviation capacity rises and both economic and environmental pressures increase, it is more important than ever for Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to share accurate, timely information.

For many years, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN) has played a critical role in enabling ANSPs to exchange messages that facilitate safe air travel. However, outdated technology and the limited communication capabilities of AFTN make it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of a growing domain by effectively sharing aeronautical and meteorological information, including flight plans, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and weather bulletins.

To solve the challenge, ICAO has mandated ANSPs to migrate from AFTN to Air Traffic Services Message Handling System (AMHS). Beyond the conveyance of traditional message formats over IP networks, AMHS offers enhanced functionality, such as the ability to exchange upcoming message formats of nearly arbitrary size and deliver end-to-end message security.

Frequentis Comsoft is the market leader in the AMHS domain. Designed in close cooperation with leading ANSPs, Frequentis Comsoft’s Aeronautical Integrated Data Exchange Agent – Next Generation (AIDA-NG) is a unified message handling switch for AFTN, Common ICAO Data Interchange Network (CIDIN), and AMHS, based on EATM Communication Gateway (ECG) software.

AIDA-NG can switch a permanent load of more than 900 AMHS messages per second. The solution offers extensive flow control mechanisms to help ensure that high message loads do not affect response times for operator working positions. AIDA-NG is the only AFTN/AMHS implementation on the market that provides fully integrated and uniform message handling facilities, such as efficient queue handling and tracing for all connected networks.

Frequentis smartMessenger is designed to assist ANSPs with their migration from AFTN to AMHS. The solution is compliant to ICAO Annex 10, ICAO AMHS specification, European AMHS Community Specification and EUROCAE ED-153 Guidelines for ANS Software Safety Assurance.

smartMessenger can be configured with an open API that allows ANSPs to pass X.400 messages to other systems using protocols that comply with System Wide Information Management (SWIM) specifications. Delivering high performance, availability and flexibility, smartMessenger typically offers lower lifecycle costs than other AMHS products.

Frequentis message handling solutions enable conversion between all supported message formats—including AMHS to email, bidirectional conversion between AFTN and AMHS, and bidirectional conversion between AMHS and SWIM. In this way, the solutions provide a fast, straightforward and cost-effective path to migration.

In the fast-growing aviation industry, facilitating the safe conduct of flights across controlled airspace increasingly depends on the ability of ANSPs to share information with the right people at the right time. These stakeholders include airlines, Airport Operations Centres, Military Operations Centres and Meteorology Service Providers.

Today, ANSPs rely on closed systems with proprietary point-to-point communication for data exchange. System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is a concept that promotes the interoperability and standardisation of ATM information throughout its lifecycle. In this way, SWIM supports more cost- and time-efficient exchange of information between providers and users—and it is expected to be an important driver for new and updated standards.

The SWIM concept itself is based on a service-oriented architecture running on open and standard mainstream technologies. SWIM operates as an overlay to IP networks using open standards and ATM-defined data exchange models, including the Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM), Weather Information Exchange Model (IWXXM) and Flight Information Exchange Model (FIXM).

Taking advantage of this digital transformation in the aviation industry promises substantial benefits for ANSPs, who can harness SWIM to monetise their data and offer new services to their customers. The new paradigm requires substantial changes in how ANSPs manage their information, and it touches all ATM systems, data domains and a wide range of stakeholders.

MosaiX, the Frequentis digital platform, empowers ANSPs to achieve a fast, smooth and cost-effective transition to SWIM. An end-to-end solution, MosaiX provides ANSPs with all the tools required to unlock the value of their data. By easily and securely interfacing with legacy and third-party systems, ANSPs can break down the barriers between different functional areas and extend their capabilities by combining information from multiple sources.

MosaiX incorporates a built-in ATM toolkit, developed by industry experts. Using these ready-made ATM connectors, data transformers and a complete suite of ATM applications and graphical developer tools, ANSPs can develop their own data-driven products with ease.

MosaiX includes data analytics and billing tools that enable ANSPs to visualise and track valuable metrics for their services, such as pay-per-time or pay-per-hit. And with the option to deploy on-premises in a high-availability configuration, in the cloud, or across a hybrid of the two, they can scale elastically to meet peaks in demand and request volume.

MosaiX acts as an information backbone that connects all stakeholders, including ANSPs, airports, airlines and meteorological service providers. And because MosaiX supports a wide range of exchange models, protocols and data formats, ANSPs can achieve a seamless transition to SWIM.