MESANGE passed Factory Acceptance Tests: Fruitful European AMHS Collaboration Project Enters into the Next Stage

The resulting large-scale project called MESANGE is being realized by means of COMSOFT's market-leading message handling product AIDA-NG in combination with the elaborate terminal solution CADAS. Within the project COMSOFT also provides regional concentrators spread to several remote locations all over France which will bundle local message entries from asynchronous lines to DNSA's capable X.25 and IP networks.

KARLSRUHE/GERMANY, February 2009 The official representatives of DSNA and skyguide's MESANGE team have successfully completed the factory acceptance test of their significant AMHS collaboration project in Karlsruhe by mid December. Now, the training period for operational and technical staff has commenced on COMSOFT premises.

In May 2008 the two air navigation service providers of France and Switzerland had entrusted the provider of aeronautical communication products COMSOFT with the replacement of their current message handling systems located in Bordeaux and Geneva. The new integrated AFTN/CIDIN/AMHS solution will not only fully comply with the latest ICAO standards but also satisfy the demanding operational expectations of the users. The two authorities had decided on a project partnership facing the same developments in growing air traffic volumes and associated communications.

Exactly in line with the schedule, the joint team of experienced AFTN and AMHS experts was able to complete the in-depth acceptance testing which lasted over a period of eight weeks; finally the twin systems even exceeded the high expectations of the team. Installation preparations and staff training are being conducted now, and subsequent site acceptance is scheduled for early summer 2009. The transition to AMHS is due by 2010 and will not only allow AMHS connections between the two twin systems but also with most neighbouring European countries and EUROCONTROL's CFMU in Brussels.

In this consequence the successful factory acceptance is both a significant milestone for the MESANGE project itself and a vital step in the establishment of AMHS in the heart of Western Europe.