India establishes crucial air navigation link with Nepal

NEW DELHI: India has established a crucial air navigation link with Nepal for exchanging real-time data on various aviation-related aspects, including weather charts and aeronautical maps.

The link, called AMHS (Air Traffic Service Message Handling System), was operationalised between Mumbai and Kathmandu on June 2 by the Air Navigation Services (ANS) Directorate of Airports Authority of India ( AAI), its officials said today.

AAI is already implementing a prestigious satellite-based GAGAN system to navigate and guide all aircraft over the vast Indian airspace as well as the high seas.

The AMHS would replace the legacy Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network connectivity which could cater to only small textual messages.

The new facility would provide exchange of global messaging similar to e-mails through which binary attachments containing aeronautical maps, weather charts, digital NOTAM and other directives can be exchanged immediately.

The technology enables graphical depiction of aeronautical data through the automation system, thereby enhancing the performance and efficiency of the Air Traffic Services bringing significant improvement in air safety.

In Asia, AMHS links are so far being operated between Hong Kong and Macao since 2009 and between Singapore and India since 2011.

Operational trials are underway to establish similar international links with countries like China, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh which would enable the complete operationalisation of the AMHS network in the Asia-Pacific region, an AAI statement later said.

The AMHS link is part of India's support to the UN agency's International Civil Aviation Organisation's sophisticated Global Air Navigation Plan, it said.