Security is a top priority in global air traffic. Solutions from Rohde & Schwarz set the standards

Compared with trains and cars, airplanes are the safest way to travel. The International Air Travel Association (IATA) reports that, statistically, you can fly for 14,000 years without an accident. This is ensured not only by well-trained pilots, but above all by communications systems on the ground and in the air.

Constantly setting new records in the air requires the best technology

Airspace nowadays is very crowded. Tens of thousands of commercial airliners are constantly en route; on peak days there are 200,000 aircraft flying worldwide. According to all forecasts, air traffic will continue to grow significantly: by 2037, the annual number of airline passengers is expected to double. This increase is attributable not least to improvements in safety and efficiency.

High traffic volumes and the increasingly tighter interlinking of air transport around the world come with challenges. Infrastructure everywhere needs to be uncompromisingly reliable; technologies have to be secured and perfectly coordinated with each other. As a passenger, sometimes you notice this more and sometimes less. Let’s have a look at this in sequence by accompanying a passenger on a flight.

Start of journey

After checking in with your baggage, you go through the security check. There security personnel make sure that no dangerous goods get into the aircraft cabin. Body scanners recognize prohibited items in a matter of seconds.

Meanwhile, the baggage is transported to the aircraft. The driver of the cargo carrier is connected to the control center by radio. The radio network at the airport is used by many other services as well, such as fueling, catering or emergency response vehicles, apron shuttle buses and firefighters. A potential problem is disruption of their radio signals, and electromagnetic emissions from display panels or defective printers may also impair radio communications. In the interest of secure procedures, it is therefore necessary to track down such disturbances and eliminate them right away.

Ready for takeoff 

While the passengers settle in on the plane, the pilot receives information from the tower about the aircraft’s take-off slot. For safety on the ground as well as in the air, it is essential that voice radio communications between air traffic control and the aircraft are absolutely reliable and clear. Air traffic controllers need to know if a transmission is unreadable or unclear to the pilots.

Every cloud engenders not a storm

The air travel system is designed to deal with almost all weather situations. But storm turbulence is no fun, either for passengers or for pilots. That’s why they rely on their measurement systems for weather too.

Air traffic control monitors the flight with the aid of radar sensors, guiding it safely. On board, weather radar helps pilots identify storm cells quickly so they can fly around them, with lots of separation. High-precision T&M equipment ensures problem-free radar operation.

Time flies

During the flight, passengers enjoy the benefits of inflight connectivity: checking emails, putting the final touches on a presentation, and perhaps streaming a movie afterwards. All this goes without a hitch now. In order for WLAN or internet based entertainment content to be available, all transmission and reception devices in and on the airplane must function reliably. This is ensured, for example, by tests and measurements on satellite antennas or WLAN routers. Networks also transmit the airplane’s system monitoring data and information about connecting flights.

Getting ready for landing

At the end of the flight, the cabin crew announces the landing and the pilot starts the descent. Assisted by radiolocation devices, air traffic controllers check the exact position and heading of the airplane as well as compliance with the mandatory separation from other aircraft.

Even with heavy rain, strong wind or dense fog, the 400-ton bird lands with pinpoint accuracy on a small strip of asphalt that is just as long as its braking distance. High-precision flight guidance signals, such as the ground based ILS and GBAS landing systems, make this possible. Rohde & Schwarz provides the T&M equipment that ensures the smooth, secure operation of these systems.

Indispensable for on-the-ground safety

With a broad range of leading solutions for safe flight operations, Rohde & Schwarz provides equipment for airports and air navigation centers. Security scanners ensure that air passengers are checked in a prompt and considerate manner, without needing to take off items of clothing, turn around in the scanner or even lift their arms. Rohde & Schwarz security scanners are in successful operation at many international airports.

Convenient solutions for monitoring radio networks enable identification of disturbances and interferences so they can be safely eliminated. With their help, all signals go exactly where they are wanted on densely occupied airport radio networks, without spilling over into other frequency bands.

Safe and secure transport in the air

Safe airspace surveillance and control are made possible by a variety of Rohde & Schwarz detection and location solutions. These include radio direction finders, which report the precise position and direction of airplanes to air traffic controllers.

The portfolio further includes solutions for error detection in radio communications relevant to flight safety, such as radios for detecting simultaneous transmissions. If an air traffic controller receives two overlapping radio transmissions where it is uncertain that two pilots are talking, he might clear the wrong flight for take-off and two aircraft might taxi onto the runway simultaneously. Solutions from Rohde & Schwarz provide protection against such a scenario and the massive delays it would inevitably cause. Furthermore, a globally unique solution enables the voice quality of pilots and air traffic controllers to be checked so that potential errors can be identified.

With the help of various T&M solutions for satellites and radio networks, on-board infrastructure facilities can be checked for conformity with standards and sources of error.

Digitalization and cybersecurity in flight operations

In the future, all communications systems for flight operations will be digital. On the ground, IP will replace today’s analog connections. In air traffic control, digital systems will ensure better fault safety and relieve the burden on air traffic controllers. An excellent example in this area is the completely IP based communications system developed by Rohde & Schwarz. This system is used, for example, by Iceland’s and Ireland’s air traffic control organizations. It virtually links the airspace control centers of the two countries and makes it possible for them, for instance, to mutually handle tasks in their respective airspaces. All interfaces, as well as hardware and software components, are present fourfold, either physically or virtually. This quadruple redundancy protects particularly well against failure of these components.

In this context, cybersecurity is also becoming increasingly important. Ultimately, internet based communications is secure only when it is adequately protected against manipulation and undesirable interference. In this area as well, Rohde & Schwarz offers a broad spectrum of dedicated solutions such as the session border controller or specially secured routers for network security.

One-stop shopping: from microphones to antennas

Rohde & Schwarz provides air navigation service providers and authorities in the field of air traffic control, as well as more than 200 airports in 80 countries, not only with high-performance products but also with comprehensive solutions for ground-ground and ground-air communications. In so doing, Rohde & Schwarz makes a critical contribution to safety and security in global flight operations.