Aviation and airport services
Two-way radios for airport and ground crews
A turn runs on a tight clock, and the crew doing it is spread across the ramp, the gate and the terminal. We put each team on its own Zello channel, so a change at the gate reaches the people who can act on it.
Short answer
Can one provider run several airports on one account?
The problem
What gets in the way
Ground handling depends on several teams being in the right place at the right moment: fueling, baggage, cleaning, catering, wheelchair attendants and gate agents. Those teams often work for different supervisors, sometimes in different terminals. Phone calls tie up the person who needs their hands free, and shared radios get crowded when several turns overlap. A request for a wheelchair or a late change at the gate has to pass through several people before it reaches whoever can act on it. Companies working at several airports also end up with a different arrangement at each one, which makes every new station a project.
How we set it up
How the channels are set up
We set up channels around how your station runs: one per team, one per terminal or concourse where that helps, and a supervisor channel that spans them.
Gate agents call for a wheelchair and the nearest attendant answers, instead of the request going through a coordinator first. Ramp staff wear a headset or earpiece, and every handset arrives enrolled in device management with its channels loaded, so a new hire or a seasonal worker can be on the air quickly. Live location shows where people are across a large terminal. A new station is a set of channels on the same account, not a new system. On Managed Zello Plus, Translations help mixed-language crews, and Message Vault keeps a searchable record if a delay or an incident needs reviewing later.
Example channels and calls
What each channel sounds like
Sample ground operations traffic, written to show how each channel gets used. None of it is air traffic control communication.
BaggageBaggage handlers and the team lead
“Last cart is at gate 12. We need one more person at the belt.”
FuelingFuel crews and the team lead
“Finished at gate 12. We’re heading to gate 15 next.”
Cabin cleaningCleaning crews and the team lead
“Gate 8 is cleaned. Crew is moving to gate 14.”
Wheelchair assistanceAttendants and gate agents
“Gate 22 needs a wheelchair for an arriving passenger. Who’s closest?”
Station supervisorsSupervisors across every team
“Schedule’s slipping in Terminal A. Can you spare two people from Terminal B for the next hour?”
Typical use cases
Where it gets used day to day
Coordinating a turn across fueling, baggage, cleaning and catering
Wheelchair and special-assistance requests between gates
Cabin cleaning crews moving between aircraft
Terminal-to-terminal staff moves when schedules slip
Supervisor calls during irregular operations
Opening a new station on the same account
Shift handover between crews
The radios
A typical airport setup
Ramp and cabin crews usually carry the Inrico T522A or Telox TE320, gate agents and wheelchair attendants the Inrico T640A with an earpiece, and supervisors the Inrico S380. A Zello Dispatch Hub seat at the operations desk reaches any team at once, and live location in Managed Zello Core shows who is closest to a gate.
If you already run radios at a station, radio interoperability can keep them in the conversation. See business two-way radios for every handheld and vehicle option.
Handheld radio
Inrico T522A
No screen, one big button. The simplest radio to hand someone.
$220.00
Handheld radio
Telox TE320
A rugged, IP68 radio with a color screen and a two-day battery.
$259.00
Handheld radio
Inrico T640A
A slim everyday radio with a screen. Our lowest-priced handheld.
$199.00
Handheld radio
Inrico S380
For supervisors and patrols who need a screen, a keypad and NFC check-in.
$360.00
Recommended solution
What we would recommend
Managed Zello Plus on rugged handhelds is usually the right fit, because Translations and Message Vault earn their place at a busy station. Smaller operations often start on Core, and an operations desk adds a Dispatch Hub seat.
Questions
Questions airport teams ask us
What station managers and operations leads want to know before moving crews off phones and shared radios.
Does this replace air traffic control or airfield radio?
No. Managed Zello carries your own team’s operational traffic. Anything that has to be on an air traffic control, ground control or airfield frequency stays on the equipment and channels your airport requires.
Can radios be heard on a noisy ramp?
The handhelds have loud speakers and noise-cancelling microphones, and crews on a ramp can pair them with a headset or earpiece. Tell us about your ramp and your hearing protection, and we will work through accessories with you before you commit to a fleet.
Can we run radios near fueling?
Standard radios are not rated for hazardous areas. Where your site requires certified equipment, we check the area classification first. The Sonim XP Pro carries Class I, II and III Division 2 non-incendive ratings, and we confirm suitability per order.
Can one account cover several airports?
Yes. Each airport gets its own channels, with a shared channel for managers if you want one. There is one bill and one place to manage users, and adding a station does not mean specifying a new system.
What about seasonal staff and turnover?
Radios arrive enrolled in device management with channels loaded, so a new starter only needs to learn the button. When someone leaves, we remove them from the network and the radio is ready for the next person.
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