Belgocontrol, the air navigation service provider (ANSP) for Belgium has successfully completed a midlife software and hardware upgrade of its aeronautical message handling system (AMHS), AIDA-NG, in order to provide further enhanced reliability, performance and message handling functionality. The upgraded system consists of Comsoft solutions AIDA-NG, CADAS-ATS and CADIR products with European Directory Service (EDS) support.

Three identical systems will be delivered including one main operational system, a contingency system and a test and training system. Belgocontrol will also receive two new CADAS-ATS features IWXXM visualisation and Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) B2B module, which are both SWIM-compatible services.

Belgocontrol is responsible for the Brussels FIR/UIR up to FL245 (8,000m), including parts of adjacent countries, and has been using AIDA-NG since 2011, operating as major message handling system which also includes air traffic services terminal solution, CADAS-ATS. The current upgrade project comprises of a software and hardware upgrade and will enable Belgocontrol to support messaging services until at least 2021.

Comsoft Solutions’ AMHS product AIDA-NG has a unique ability to provide fully integrated, uniform message handling facilities, important for the future of air traffic management. By harmonising the message switching architecture it is possible for the whole system to be managed by one single user interface, which unifies and thus eases the handling of work flows for any message type.

"Comsoft Solutions has successfully upgraded our message handling system, enabling us to further support the increasing demands of our service, both now and in the future. Having already installed AIDA-NG in 2011, and with Comsoft Solutions the AMHS market-leader, the choice was clear. The working relationship we have built over previous ventures also contributed to the smooth running of the project" says Miguel Garcia, head of service, and Dirk Vandenbergh, manager, Belgocontrol.

"We were pleased to be working with Belgocontrol again, further supporting their message handling services and enhancing performance," says Uwe Kurpat, Comsoft Solutions’ MHS business unit manager.