AAI fast-tracks upgrade to new messaging system after tech glitch at Delhi Airport, Pg4

Key Highlights:

• Delhi Airport experienced a technical glitch in its Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) on November 6, leading to over 800 flight delays and cancellations.
• The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is fast-tracking the implementation of the new Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS) to January, ahead of the original April 2026 schedule.
• The AMHS main server is installed at Mumbai Airport, with a backup server in Delhi.
• AAI plans to upgrade and modernize all 113 airports it manages by 2029.

Detailed Insights:

• The current AMSS is an automated system for transmitting aeronautical messages in text format between ATC, airlines, and flights, operating on a hub and spoke model with 16 major airports as hubs.
• The new AMHS can transmit various digital information types, including text, graphics, audio, and video, offering higher functionality and transmission reliability compared to AMSS.
• The Mumbai Airport has had a functional AMHS since 2011, with connections to Singapore and Nepal, and now all airports in the country are being connected to this system.
• The AAI is also focusing on expanding training facilities in Prayagraj, Gondia, and Hyderabad as part of its modernization efforts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• AMSS (Automatic Message Switching System): An automated system for transmitting text-based aeronautical messages.
• AMHS (Aeronautical Message Handling System): An advanced system capable of transmitting various digital information types with higher reliability.
• ATC (Air Traffic Control): A service provided to promote a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic.