SUCCESS STORIES

Mumbai International Airport Implements MPLS network

Learn how Netcon engaged as a consultant to design, implement and commission the first MPLS network for an airport in India

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (CSMIA), formerly known as Sahar International Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Area, India. After Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), a JV company owned by the GVK – led consortium and AAI, was formed to transform CSMIA into an international landmark and a truly world-class airport equipped with best infrastructure, it was  planned to build a new greenfield Terminal 2 with integrated cargo complex capable of handling 1 million tons of cargo per year. 

Today, it is the second busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic & cargo handling after Delhi and is currently handling more than 50 million passengers every year. The airport has three operating terminals spread over a total land area of 750 hectares (1,850 acres) and handles about 950 aircraft movements per day. After the Terminal 2 become operational, CSMIA is consistently rated as one of the best airports in the world and has won several international awards.

The Requirement

Construction major Larsen & Toubro got the mandate of executing EPC contract for T2 terminal including IT packages. Considering the magnitude to execute this humongous task of communication network, L&T hired Netcon’s consultancy services for design, implementation & commissioning of Active Communications Network, Distributed Antenna System and Trunked Mobile Radio. 

Modern day airport’s functions with 50+ systems for ensuring successful operations and catering multiple service requirements of ICT, Airport Systems (AODB, CUPPS, FIDS), Building Management Systems (Lighting, HVAC, Fire Alarm), Security Systems (CCTV & Access control). One system needs to interface with one or multiple systems based on their business demands. The requirement of integrating multiple systems based on their business logic requires a highly reliable and scalable communication network across the terminal and ancillary buildings. Thus, Active Communication Network becomes highly crucial and strategically essential to achieve this milestone.

The Solution

Netcon worked with MIAL, L&T, and other stakeholders to understand the business requirements, subsystem interfaces and integration requirements to design a robust service provider grade network covering the entire network. 

For the first time, Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network was implemented in an Airport in India. The network is a 3-tier, carrier grade, MPLS network which is scalable, secured, highly reliable, converged for data and voice with redundant Data Centres which are 5 kms apart. The network connected about 25,000 end points from critical subsystems like CUPPS, CUSS, FIDS, BHS, CCTV, Access Control, DCS, etc. Each subsystem or a tenant is provisioned with a L2 or L3 VPN that ensured traffic isolation and QoS. NGMVPN solution is implemented for multicast support throughout the MPLS network. 

Entire network is designed & built on a 10G backbone with redundant capacities at Core and Distribution to avoid single point of failure in terms of equipment, physical connectivity. Active communication Network infrastructure holds about 1000 Access switches carrying data from various services, 18 Distribution switches and 2 Core switches. Server layer is equipped to cater more than 50 racks of compute devices with redundancy. The new MPLS network was seamlessly integrated with the existing Terminal 1 network without impacting the operations. 

Network is secured from external and internal attacks using Firewalls at different layers. Physical security devices, which are paramount in protecting the stakes of airport is also connected through communication network, about 3000 CCTV cameras, both PTZ and fixed cameras, 800 Access control devices. To avoid unnecessary data traffic flow and save network resources, CCTV storage is planned in a distributed architecture. 

Netcon also designed and implemented an open source Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) along with a customer care application for handling customer service requests. The system was integrated with AODB through the Information Broker to provide real time information to the customers.