It was announced from Brussels on 5th March that the Pan European Network Service (PENS) is now the operational network for the exchange of coordination messages between the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Centres of NATS in Swanwick (UK) and the Maastricht Upper Area Centre (MUAC) in The Netherlands. PENS allows ATC Centres to exchange flight information data securely and efficiently by using IP (Internet Protocol) Version 6 (IPv6) as required by the Flight Message Transfer Protocol (FMTP) Implementing Rule.

Information exchanges between flight data processing systems are established between air traffic control units for the notification, co-ordination and transfer of flights as well as for civil-military co-ordination.

These information exchanges need appropriate and harmonised communication protocols to secure their interoperability – and PENS provides this service.