Instructions

Which factors
compromise an
airport’s PA system?
In 2017, a research sponsored by The Federal
Aviation Administration in the USA
1
, made
a questionnaire about communications
transmitted over PA systems. This
questionnaire was delivered to members
of the airline industry that had a role in the
operation of the airports
2
.
In terms of what negatively affects speech
intelligibility, most respondents indicated that:
1
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
2017. Improving Intelligibility of Airport Terminal Public Address
Systems. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/24839.
2
The results of this study are considered to have a 10% margin
of error to achieve a 90% condence level for a population of
about 400 airports and 100 airlines.
“(…) high background
noise and room
acoustics (…)”
are “(…) the most
important negative
factors on speech
intelligibility
of PA system
announcements”.
Figure 1 – Concourse area: Walls and ceiling with
Flat Panel VMT. Note that in this example Flat
Panel VMT installed in the ceiling is being used as
both acoustic treatment and advertisement.
• Flat Panel VMT, 23a and 82a
1
• Flat Panel VMT, customized
2
2
Public Spaces Acoustic Treatment Guidelines / Airports
8