The second International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Aeronautical Telecommunication Network Implementation Co-ordination
Group Meeting for the Asia-Pacific Region opened in Hong Kong
Monday.
The five-day meeting provided a forum for aviation experts to
exchange views on the latest developments in aeronautical
telecommunication. About 80 delegates from the Air Traffic Services
authorities of 20 ICAO Contracting States in the Asia Pacific
Region, and representatives from international organizations and
aviation industry are attending the meeting.
Topics of the meeting include the implementation and
co-ordination of the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN)
and Air Traffic Services Messages Handling System (AMHS) in the
Asia Pacific Region, the AMHS address database and address
management, regional guidance material, strategy and implementation
time line.
"We are pleased to host this international meeting for the first
time in Hong Kong, which fosters co-operation for the advancement
of aviation technology in the region," Hong Kong's Director-General
of Civil Aviation Norman Lo said at the opening session.
Lo said global air traffic has been increasing rapidly in the
past few years. To sustain a safe and efficient air transport
system, the Civil Aviation Department will continue to introduce
the use of new enabling technologies, he said.
The ICAO has targeted the implementation of the ATN and AMHS in
the Asia Pacific Region by 2009 to gradually replace the existing
Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) with the ATN
and AMHS infrastructure.
The ATN is an "aviation internet" which provides a global data
communication networking infrastructure for exchange of data and
graphics among the Air Traffic Services authorities, aircraft and
other aviation stakeholders.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2007)