Back to Air Transport IT Review - Issue 1, April 2009

Building next-gen airport communications

Airports are taking a harder look at new digital communications that can enhance safety, security and profitability, while improving the efficiency and interaction of the airport workers who use them.

Digital communications meet a number of new industry requirements, including the ability to:

  • Embrace mobility - to meet the needs of broadband-enabled aircraft and the air transport industry workforce
  • Explore opportunities for a new generation common communication platform to boost application and content delivery and performance
  • Exploit integration of voice / convergence for airport campuses. For SITA, this includes Professional Mobile Radio (PMR), ATI Voice Exchange, IP Telephony, messaging and other innovative services

Through a next generation communication services programme (see Air Transport IT Review 2008 Issue 2), SITA will deliver a new, common communication service infrastructure for airports, building on the footprint of SITA's existing AirportHub solutions. Look out for our next issue, where we will cover this in detail.

Here we discuss current and future mobility services at airports. Firstly, we look at how voice and data convergence is leading to new radio communication tools. And secondly, we take a peek into the future when data-centric handheld devices will relieve the pressure on crowded airport voice networks.

Mobile radio strikes chord with airports

The adoption of digital communications, such as TETRA-based PMR, not only delivers on the 'next gen' requirements. It also opens new doors to previously unavailable revenue opportunities. For instance, a single mission-critical radio solution, shared by all entities, can be offered by the airport authority to all ground handlers and airlines - and this service commands a premium price. A digital radio system also has a life span of 10 to 15 years: It is probably the only system at an airport with such a long life span, offering a long-term revenue stream.

Digital, standards-based PMR integrated into airport IT systems offers significant advantages over legacy radio systems and competing technologies. PMR based on TETRA standards provides a set of communications tools and applications beyond voice to fulfill a wide variety of demanding tasks faced by aviation industry organizations in their everyday activities.

Currently, many airports use outdated radio systems that inhibit modern working practices. The platforms and infrastructures on which these solution operate are also often unable to support newer technologies and are based on obsolete standards. Outdated platforms can cause technological stalemates in which neither devices nor infrastructure can be updated or enhanced, resulting in higher maintenance costs.

SITA's PMR solution addresses this by offering a fully managed service with lower operating expenditures than legacy systems.

Improved efficiency

Airport radio systems are a mission-critical infrastructure engineered to operate consistently and with resilience. Even so, they can be pushed to the extreme by the sheer volume of network traffic and number of calls placed. Handling this efficiently is a given for PMR, but the service offers a number of other strengths, such as push-to-talk operation and dispatching, as well as the security needed to keep communications available only to the right operators.

Some of its unique functionalities include:

  • Group calling capabilities to improve operational efficiency, particularly to groups working on or around an aircraft. Dispatcher priority ensures the dispatcher remains in control of the group, able to interrupt any subscriber in the event of an urgent communication.
  • Groups can be created dynamically and instantly. This can be especially important during emergency situations or operations in which different organizations need to communicate.
  • Messaging can be provided via SMS services - for example, to send flight updates to the turnaround crew of a flight.
  • Communications are seamless between PMR, private branch exchange (PBX), and public telephony (PSTN) systems - as well as unprecedented versatility in data services.

Emerging applications

There are also other potential applications in the pipeline. For example, in systems using RFID-based security passes, the PMR system can enable a mobile security guard to read a security pass and verify validity against a central database. Two further examples:

Owners and managers of ground support equipment are continually looking to monitor, control, and contain costs by improving maintenance efficiencies. Wireless is emerging as a valuable tool to address these needs by providing better visibility of the fleet. In addition to improving ground handling productivity, it will also make a significant contribution to airport security and airside safety as well.

Organizations often have differing dispatching services and different data applications, factors that need to be taken into account in the definition of user profiles. Flight oriented dialling intelligently provides role-oriented communications and a dynamic fleet map service. This means that each person can participate in one or more group calls depending on organization and role. A person manning a fuel truck will have a different profile from a person in charge of pushback or another one supervising the loading of luggage.

Appealing to stakeholders

Radio has always been the solution for flexible and efficient communication in the field. Most airports and airlines still think of a mobile radio system as a tool for instant communication between two people or within a group at the push of a button: in short, nothing fancy or sophisticated. The potential of digital radio communications and how it can provide value by increasing efficiency and security is only just starting to be realized.

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