Pilots to get graphic flight details as Chennai upgrades system

Chennai: In about a year, pilots flying in and out of Chennai airport will be able to access flight plans, weather data and even notams complete with charts and illustrations online. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to upgrade the existing text-based aeronautical communication system to a futuristic network.
Airports in the four metros will be linked to the Air Traffic Services Message Handling Service (AMHS) type of communication network and then to the nearest international airport abroad. This will enable smooth and faster ground-to-ground transmission of information from one airport to the other across the world everytime an aircraft takes off from an airport.
The AMHS has already been installed in Mumbai and will be put on operational trial in China, Thailand and Singapore by May so that all data about aircraft flying on these routes can be transmitted from one airport to the other. The system, which is faster and highly reliable, will be installed in Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi in a phased manner.
Such information is crucial for airlines, especially on long haul routes, to adjudge the requirement of fuel and its usage, finalise the altitude for flying and fix details of diversions required enroute because of weather turbulance.
According to AAI sources, the new system is part of an emerging global telecommunication network called Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) now available only in the US and Japan.
And, in a bid to provide uniformity and user-friendly information to airports and pilots across the world, the International Civil Aviation Organisation has set 2010 as a deadline to implememt the upgraded system in Asia-Pacific countries.
17/12/08 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008