To support continued growth at the airport and improve productivity, Düsseldorf International and SITA Airport IT, the company which manages its information technology, decided to replace the airport’s existing communications system.

A key consideration was mobile technology. Düsseldorf International wanted to enhance its operations and contribute to greater efficiency by providing a single mission-critical communication solution that all users – from airlines and ground handlers to agencies such as the fire brigade – could access via mobile devices, at all locations. 

The system would have to support heavy voice, data and messaging traffic loads with no downtime. It would have to support up to 3000 subscribers. And finally, Düsseldorf required a digital solution – one that could handle functions such as Flight-Oriented Dialling (FOD), which enables immediate communications among all personnel involved in aircraft turnarounds at the gate.

In September 2008, SITA began rolling out the chosen system, a TETRA-based Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) network, to an initial 1200 users. Functioning as a shared radio network for the many different user groups at the airport, the system was designed to –

• bring all users, including ground operations staff and airlines, on to a single radio platform 
• minimize the number of radio terminals required at the airport 
• ensure efficient use of the available radio spectrum 
• provide secure, encrypted communication
• enable a smooth migration path.

Special applications

In addition to its main functions, the radio system incorporates several value-added applications, including: 

Flight-Oriented Dialling (FOD), for personnel involved in aircraft turnarounds at the gate. Each individual (ramp agent, load master, cargo, catering or cleaning) can be contacted by dialling a simple task code and the flight number. 

Security guard control: guards are required to ‘swipe’ an RFID tag at control points on their patrol routes. This ensures that guards are following their routes and alerts supervisors to any problems or deviations. 

Passenger emergency call: handles any emergency calls from the Sky Train monorail system, a link for passengers between the railway station and the airport terminals. 

Business results 

Since launching the TETRA-based system, Düsseldorf International Airport has realized numerous benefits, including – 

• improved security: digital coding in the TETRA system provides protection against eavesdroppers.
• better reliability: SITA’s PMR provides a high level of redundancy at both the node and system level, guaranteeing the highest service availability. 
• excellent radio coverage: the TETRA provides perfect coverage within and outside buildings throughout the airport, from runways and cargo areas to passenger areas and hangars. Coverage extends to a radius of 5 km around the airport, to provide radio communication in the event of emergencies outside the airport perimeter. 
• voice and data: with its open standards and interfaces, the TETRA network can support a wide variety of integrated voice and data applications. 
• call quality, call types: voice quality on the radio system has noticeably improved. In addition, the system gives the airport a wider choice of call types, from wide-area group calls and multiple group calls to private telephone calls.