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)