An aircraft communication system and corresponding method for establishing a datalink network between participating aircrafts, wherein each participating aircraft comprises a datalink transponder for sending and receiving standard communication messages (M) over a standard communication protocol; said datalink transponders are employed for establishing said datalink network using a standard communication protocol, and wherein said datalink transponders transmitting event driven messages (M) with a predefined structure identifying said messages (M) as test messages (TM) and at the same time comprising message data (MD) for establishing said datalink network, thus providing a datalink network established by transmission of solely messages (M) compliant with said standard communication protocol.