Voice communications and transfer of operational data in the domain of air traffic control have a strong correlation with flight safety. The largest portion of aviation communications in Iran is centered around the Flight Control Center. This sector includes approximately 30 aviation radio stations and around 16 radar stations across the country, whose communications are established with the control centre through leased landlines. In the past, even a partial failure of these lines would cause a disruption in communication with domestic or overflying flights, creating significant risks to flight safety. Therefore, this group has taken the initiative to address this issue for the first time in the country.
Ultimately, this group was able to establish these communications via VSAT satellites by designing the necessary custom interfaces between aviation radio equipment and flight control centre equipment. In this scheme, audio and data compression blocks, as well as necessary encrypters, were designed with the high cost of satellite bandwidth rental in mind. Since 2014, this system has been in service at the country’s air traffic control center.
During these years, we have faced significant interruptions to ground telecommunications in the face of local floods, earthquakes, drilling operations, and road construction across the country. However, using the emergency communication system designed by this company, no issues have arisen for overflying flights in Iranian airspace.
This system can play a crucial role in enhancing flight safety in large-scale control centres in countries that have them.