The AFTN
The data interchange in the AFS is performed by the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network, AFTN. This is a message handling network running according to ICAO Standards documented in Annex 10 to the ICAO Convention. With a history dating back to the 1950's, it was in fact the world's first large-scale message handling system. It was conceived according to the special needs of its users but also restricted by the technology available then. Today several hundred nodes located in virtually every country of the world exchange messages on links of different types and speeds using "store-and-forward" procedures.
The European part of the AFTN forms an important component of this world-wide network. It handles a large volume of message traffic originating and/or terminating in Europe but also considerable transit traffic. There is one or more AFTN nodes in every European country.