Push Notification Backend — Admin Console

Updated: 2026-08-08 07:10 ET · Audited: 2026-06-26 · Last updated by team: 2026-03-02

Overview

The ALPA Mobile push notification system backend is managed via an admin console web interface.

Admin Console URL: https://pilotcomms.alpa.org/notifications

Purpose

The admin console provides:

Push notification composition and sending
Template management
Tag-based targeting (MEC groups, pilot groups, individual users) — today's tag inventory is only the fs-{ScheduleKey} flight-subscription tags; no MEC/pilot-group tags exist yet
Notification history and delivery tracking
Azure Notification Hub integration management

Access

Authentication	ALPA staff credentials required
Environment	Production backend
Integration	Azure Notification Hub (APNS for iOS, FCM for Android)

Usage

Sending Notifications

Navigate to https://pilotcomms.alpa.org/notifications
Compose notification (title, message, payload)
Select targeting (tags, user groups, broadcast)
Review payload structure (Document, WebLink, DeepLink, or empty contentType)
Send

Payload Types

Document: Displays PDF, HTML, or web content in-app. Requires: docType, destination (file URL)

WebLink: Opens URL in the system browser (MauiExternalBrowser → Browser.OpenAsync with SystemPreferred), not an in-app WebView. Requires: destination (URL)

DeepLink: Routes to specific app screen (FTDT, Jumpseat, Settings, etc.). Requires: destination (route path)

Empty contentType: No destination — the app renders the title and message themselves as the content. Not an edge case: 83 of 241 cached production records carry an empty contentType (see the comms notification detail design gap).

See Push notification payload reference for full schema.

Integration Points

Mobile App → Backend

Device registration (APNS/FCM tokens) — the app registers via the PilotComms API (RestService.RegisterPushTokenAsync → pilotCommsClient.CreateUpdateRegistrationAsync); Azure Notification Hub is used directly by the app only for flight-change alerts (FlightSearchPushNotificationService, fs-* tags)
Tag updates — currently only fs-{ScheduleKey} flight-subscription tags
Installation ID management

Backend → Azure Notification Hub

Device registration storage
Tag-based targeting rules
Template notifications
Delivery tracking

Backend → Mobile App

Push notification delivery via APNS/FCM
Payload validation
Error handling

Testing

See Azure Notification Hub Integration Testing Plan for comprehensive test coverage including:

Device registration (fresh install, reinstall, token refresh)
Tag-based targeting (MEC groups, pilot groups)
Template notifications
Error handling (network failures, token expiration)
Cross-platform validation (iOS + Android)

Work Item

Azure Notification Hub Integration Testing: AB#1892 — Status: Backlog