Assistive listening manufacturer Contacta, has supplied in excess of than 500 hearing loop systems for a major project to enhance hearing accessibility at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The 520 systems have been installed throughout the airport’s three terminals by Contacta’s GCC regional partner, Topland.
Work on the project has been ongoing since 2023 and forms part of the airport’s ambition to ensure accessible and inclusive travel for all passengers. It is also in line with Dubai’s Universal Design Code which aims to ensure buildings and transportation are accessible to everyone according to their need.
Interaction points including information desks, check-in counters, shops, lounges, food outlets and money exchange counters, across Terminals 1, 2 and 3 had to be surveyed by Topland’s engineers and, together with the Contacta Business Development Team, recommendations and specifications were developed for each one.
‘This has been one of the most significant overseas projects our products have been used in,’ says Contacta Head of Business Development, Ran Meyrav. ‘We’ve followed Topland’s lead and worked in partnership with their team, giving advice and direction to deliver the best outcomes for passengers with hearing loss, right across the airport, giving them access to clear sound without the background noise that’s unavoidable in a space that welcomes 90-plus million passengers a year.
‘It has been satisfying to be a part of this project, and to see it come to fruition over the last two years, from planning through to commissioning.’
‘This comprehensive hearing loop installation demonstrates our commitment to practical accessibility solutions that make a real difference to our guests’ experience,’ adds Dubai Airports Chief Operating Officer, Majed Al Joker. ‘Working with partners like Topland and Contacta, we’ve been able to implement cutting-edge assistive technology across every touchpoint in our terminals, ensuring that guests with hearing loss can communicate clearly and confidently throughout their journey with us.’
Prior to beginning work, Topland laid the foundations to ensure staff understood the systems and why they were needed.
‘We wanted staff on the ground to be prepared before we started the installations,’ says Topland CEO, Andy Faulkner. ‘We cooperated closely with Dubai Airports in developing staff training on how to use hearing loop systems and the benefits they offer to passengers with hearing loss. Together, we created awareness among key stakeholders throughout the airport and conducted trials at the important touch points in each terminal for the staff and passengers to get acquainted with the technology.’
Between November and December 2024, the team installed 520 Contacta counter hearing loop systems. Engineers had to work around check-in counters, customs and boarding gates, coffee shops, food counters, and retail till points during what was a very busy holiday period.
‘In an airport there are practically no quiet hours, so our team had to work quickly and precisely to cause minimal disturbance,’ Faulkner point out.
They also had to cover large distances – the counters are spread out across each terminal and with three terminals, engineers walked thousands of steps each day, the record being 35,000. The engineers were also subject to stringent security checks every time they had to go in or out of airside locations.
Although the counters vary in design, space on all of them was limited. Contacta’s IL-K200 under the counter loop system with halo microphone offered a compact solution. It also allowed for flexible positioning of the loop aerial, something that was crucial as not all of the counters were easily accessible.
Topland’s experience and attention to detail, combined with the quality of Contacta’s products, was the reason they were chosen to carry out the work.
‘Topland is the leading supplier of assistive listening solutions in the Middle East,’ Faulkner says. ‘With our longstanding and close cooperation with Contacta we are able to provide excellent pre-sales and post-sales services to our customers, such as guidance, product training, product trials and maintenance.
‘Contacta under the counter hearing loops not only provide excellent sound quality for hearing aid users but they also require minimal staff training and no additional actions to operate the system.’
The success of the project has seen Topland asked to replace the existing hearing loop in one of the Business Class Lounges with a Contacta system. The next stage will see Topland supplying Contacta portable hearing loops for locations at the airport where fixed loops couldn’t be installed.
With more than 1.5bn people worldwide living with some degree of hearing loss, and that number expected to rise to 2.5bn by 2050 according to the World Health Organisation, accessible communication systems are becoming essential in global transport hubs.
The Hearing Loops rollout is part of Dubai Airports’ We All Meet the World Differently platform, a long-term commitment to improving accessibility across DXB through both infrastructure enhancements and frontline staff training.