Taiwan CAA transforms aeronautical message handling

Air Navigation and Weather Services (ANWS), a division of the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), has selected Comsoft Solutions’ Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS) in order to transform the way in which they transmit messages and aeronautical data.

The Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) is one of the busiest air transport hubs in Asia covering 180,000 square nautical miles and bordering five other FIRs (Fukuoka, Manila, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai). Flight volume in the region increased by over 7% in 2016 alone and to maintain efficiency and manage flight numbers it was important for ANWS to transform their message handling capabilities.

Fifteen countries in the APAC region currently operate a Comsoft Solutions AFTN/AMHS, making Taiwan the 16th country to place its trust in the market-leading product AIDA-NG as their core messaging service.

“Comsoft Solutions was selected as the best vendor with the most advantageous tender method. We are pleased to be working together on this project which will support us with enhanced flight service operations and efficiency, in order to meet the air traffic volume growth in the region,” says Chuck Tseng, ANWS AMHS Replacement Project Manager.

The delivery includes two identical highly redundant AFTN/AMHS nodes, one working as an operational system at the North ATS Park and the other one working as a contingency system at the South ATS Park. Additionally, an identical test/training and development node will allow ANWS to set up and simulate or reproduce different operational scenarios and thus continuously improve the quality of their messaging services.

The core of the system is Comsoft Solutions’ message switch product AIDA-NG, the most mature, and only fully integrated, AFTN/AMHS message switch available on the market. Comsoft Solutions’ user terminal system CADAS-ATS supports the operation of up to 300 WEB-based AFTN/AMHS User Agent client terminals. The system is completed by a comprehensive redundant network architecture/security appliance (DMZ) and a Comsoft Solutions’ central network monitoring product (CNMS).

“We are excited to be working on this project for Taiwan. The new AFTN/AMHS will be the backbone for ANWS’ aeronautical communication. The WEB-service-based AFTN/AMHS messaging client interface (SOAP, originally Simple Object Access Protocol) will give ANWS new possibilities to efficiently integrate ATM systems and provides an excellent basis for the future CRV and SWIM-based environments,” says Uwe Kurpat, Comsoft Solutions MHS Business Unit Manager.