Solutions · Aviation and airports
At an airport, one dropped radio call halts operations. We design the systems that prevent it.
We design, install, and maintain VHF aeronautical-band systems, DAS coverage, and radio rooms for airports and airfields. For clients like Aeroporti di Roma, we bring over twenty years of experience in mission-critical communications.
The three challenges of running an airport.
What an airport operator has to guarantee every day, on the apron and inside the airport’s buildings.
Communication continuity
Aeronautical-band communications and the ground staff’s radio networks must stay operational at all times: without radio, airport operations stop, from flight approach to work on the apron.
Many operators, one airport
The airport operator, handling companies, maintenance, and security all work at the same airport on different networks and technologies: you need systems that let them coexist and coverage with no dead zones, from the apron to the buildings.
A lasting investment
The system has to last for years and be maintained without shutting down the airport: what matters is component quality, technical documentation, and scheduled work carried out overnight.
How the radio system of an airport is built.
Two radio networks coexist at an airport: the control tower’s aeronautical band and the ground staff network. The diagram shows where they meet.
- Control tower
- The VHF aeronautical-band equipment links the control tower to arriving and departing aircraft.
- Apron and terminal coverage
- On the apron the ground staff work on a DMR or TETRA radio network; inside the terminal the signal arrives through the distributed antennas of a DAS.
- Control room
- Aeronautical-band communications and those of the ground crews come together at a single operator position, where they are recorded.
- Radio and network links
- The dashed lines mark the radio link to the aircraft and the network that connects every area of the airport to the control room.
What a system for an airport includes.
The systems we build at an airport and what each one covers, from the aeronautical-band equipment to the power supply of the technical rooms.
Aeronautical-band radio systems
- VHF aeronautical-band transceivers installed in the airport’s technical room
- Transmit and receive antennas, feeder cables, and filters
- Connection of the control tower positions to the radio equipment
- Standby equipment and automatic switchover in the event of a fault
- Authorization paperwork and frequency assignment with the competent authorities
Ground staff radio network
- DMR Tier II and Tier III base stations, or TETRA trunking, depending on the design
- Site antennas, duplexers, combiners, and feeder cables
- Portable and vehicle terminals for the ground handling, maintenance, and security crews
- Programming of channels, talkgroups, and user profiles
- Coverage tests on the apron and on the service roads
DAS coverage in the terminal and other buildings
- Distributed antennas and radiating cable in corridors, storerooms, and basement levels
- Line amplifiers, couplers, splitters, and termination loads
- TETRA, LTE, and 5G distributed over the same antenna system
- Cable routes, brackets, and penetrations between the terminal floors
- Coverage tests at the points where the signal from outside does not reach
Control room and operator positions
- Dispatch consoles and operator positions running the Respondr platform
- Gateways and interfaces to the airport radio networks and to the aeronautical-band equipment
- Audio management between adjacent positions, with echo and feedback cancellation
- Operator profiles, access control, and connection to the corporate authentication system (SSO)
- Call tests and verification of the procedures agreed with the airport operator
Communication recording
- Simultaneous recording of every radio channel in service at the airport
- Recording of aeronautical-band communications with the ED-137 protocol
- Search of recordings by radio ID, time, channel, talkgroup, and message content
- Configurable data retention and automatic backup of the recordings
Transport network and supervision
- Optical fiber backbones and copper links between the technical rooms, the control tower, and the control room
- Network equipment, PoE power supply, and patch cabinets
- Continuous monitoring of the radio carriers with TP-RFX and collection of alarms on Track-TP
- Delivery of alarms to the operator’s supervision systems via SNMP, relay contacts, and APIs
Power supply, continuity, and earthing
- Distribution boards, protection devices, and lines dedicated to the radio equipment
- Uninterruptible power supplies and buffer batteries sized for the required autonomy
- Bonding of equipment, racks, and antenna supports to the earthing system
- Surge arresters on the RF lines and on the power lines
- Tests of the installation running without mains power
What happens when a flight lands.
A real case: the arrival of a flight, from the radio contact with the control tower to the recording of communications.
The aircraft communicates with the control tower
The approaching aircraft contacts the control tower on the VHF aeronautical-band frequency. We design and build these radio systems for airports and airfields: they are the first link in the operational chain and cannot go down.
Ground staff prepare the aircraft stand
The ramp coordinator, handling, and maintenance teams talk to each other over the airport radio network. Coverage reaches the apron and inside the buildings thanks to the DAS systems we design and install for terminals and enclosed infrastructure.
The control room follows everything from a single operator position
The operator works on the Respondr console, which brings together the airport’s operational radio networks and the aeronautical-band communications: a single interface to talk to every team.
Communications stay on record
Respondr’s built-in recording system keeps the airport’s radio communications, including the aeronautical-band traffic handled with the ED-137 protocol: every call stays documented and available to reconstruct events.
The systems we put in the field.
Each solution has its own in-depth page: here you’ll find only what it does for an airport.
- Communications with flights
Aeronautical-band systems
VHF aeronautical-band radio systems for airports and airfields, from coverage design to equipment maintenance.
- Control room
Radio rooms and dispatch
We build airport radio rooms with Funktronic consoles and the Respondr platform: operational radio networks and aeronautical-band communications at a single operator position.
- Ground staff
DMR and TETRA radio networks
Radio networks for the teams working at the airport: DMR Tier II and Tier III systems, TETRA trunking, and VHF/UHF links, from design to maintenance.
- Coverage inside buildings
DAS and indoor coverage
We design and install DAS systems to bring radio and cellular coverage inside terminals, buildings, and enclosed infrastructure, where the outdoor signal doesn’t reach.
- Spectrum monitoring
TP-RFX
Outdoor spectrum analyzer that continuously monitors radio carriers from 15 MHz to 2.7 GHz: it detects signal degradation before it becomes a service outage.
- Supervision
Track-TP
Web platform that shows the status of network devices, radio networks, and airport sensors on a single dashboard, with real-time alarms.
- Traceability
Communications recording
Audio recording systems for radio communications: every call stays documented and available to reconstruct events.
- Radio terminals
Radio fleet supply
Supply, programming, and maintenance of the teams’ radio terminals: we are authorized resellers for Motorola Solutions, Hytera, and Kenwood and the exclusive Funktronic distributor for Italy.
- Before the tender
Radio coverage study
Propagation models, link budget, and system sizing: the technical documentation you need to design the airport’s coverage and present the project in a public tender.
Learn more.
TechnicalAirband: aircraft radio frequencies on VHF 118–137 MHz
Airband frequencies explained: the VHF band from 118 to 136.975 MHz, AM and 8.33 kHz channels, aircraft radio frequencies for tower, ground and emergency.
TechnicalVHF vs UHF: Technical Differences and Applications of Radio Frequencies
VHF or UHF for professional communications: propagation, building and vegetation penetration, antenna dimensions, spectrum availability, and the criteria for choosing the right band in maritime, rural, urban, and industrial environments.
Frequently asked questions.
The questions we are asked most often about this type of system.
Can you work at an operating airport without stopping operations?
Yes, but the work program is agreed with the airport operator. We set the time slots in advance, often overnight, along with access to the operational areas and the safety procedures to follow, and we split the work into short phases so that the systems are back in service at the end of every shift. For systems that cannot be taken out of service, we first prepare a temporary configuration that keeps the radio link up for the whole duration of the work.
Do the radio networks already in service have to be replaced in order to coordinate every crew from a single control room?
No. The networks already installed stay in service and are connected to the control room console through dedicated gateways and interfaces: the airport operator, ground handling, maintenance, and security keep working with their own terminals. The operator needs a single position to talk to every crew, even when they use different technologies such as TETRA, DMR, or analog VHF/UHF. Replacing a crew’s equipment is considered only when its network has reached the end of its life or no longer covers the required areas.
Does an airfield need the same system as a large airport?
No, the system is sized on the traffic and on the areas to be served. At an airfield, aeronautical-band equipment, one operator position, and a small radio network for the ground staff may be enough. An airport with several handlers, terminals, and aprons requires more channels, DAS coverage inside the buildings, and a control room with several operator positions. In both cases the sizing comes out of the site survey and the radio coverage study.
What determines the cost of a radio system for an airport?
The cost depends above all on the extent of the area to be covered and on how many systems are in the project: the number of aeronautical-band channels, the size of the ground staff radio network, the buildings to be served with a DAS, and the operator positions in the control room. Then there is the installation work — cable routes, antenna supports, and power distribution boards — which changes from airport to airport. That is why there is no list price: we prepare the bill of supply and works on the design for the individual airport.
Our systems integrate with the equipment you already have.
No closed systems: we use open protocols, let different technologies coexist on the same equipment, and work with the certifications that public tenders require.
Aeronautical band and radio networks in a single console
From the same console, Respondr manages aeronautical-band communications and the ground staff’s TETRA, DMR, and VHF/UHF radio networks.
Integration with the airport’s systems
The monitoring systems interface with the operator’s supervision platforms via SNMP, relay contacts, and API: alarms reach you where you already work.
Certifications and qualifications
Teleproject is an ISO 9001:2015 certified and SOA OS 19 qualified company. The Respondr and Track-TP platforms are designed in compliance with the NIS2 directive and the ISA/IEC 62443-3-3 standard.
Request a proposal for your airport.
Feasibility analysis, radio coverage study, and project planning, tailored to your requirements.