Robinson Aviation

What Robinson Aviation does

Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. is a privately held U.S. aviation services contractor founded in 1986 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with a maintenance facility in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. RVA operates as a prime and subcontractor delivering five core service lines to federal customers: Air Traffic Control tower services under the FAA Contract Tower Program (currently 102 towers across Areas II and IV, plus Leesburg Executive and two non-federal towers); Technical Operations & Services including engineering, installation, and maintenance of ATC communications, navigation, and radar systems; Ramp Tower Program providing ground-movement control, metering, and deicing management at major hub airports; Engineering Support Services spanning civil, electrical, electronic, communications, mechanical, radar, and telecommunications engineering for National Airspace System (NAS) infrastructure; and Research, Analysis & Support covering CNS/ATM procedures development, TERPS obstruction evaluations, and aviation safety studies for both domestic and international clients.

The company is led by President & CEO Keren Williams McLendon and employs over 600 personnel including 500+ operational air traffic controllers, supervisors, engineers, and technicians. Its technology platform is anchored by ISO 9001:2015 certification with an integrated Safety Management System (Certificate QSR-1148) — a unique qualification among U.S. Air Navigation Service Providers — and includes Prime Installer status for Frequentis Voice Communication Control Systems across 50+ ATC towers and 90 US Army sites worldwide. RVA generated first-in-nation virtual ramp control capability at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2017.

RVA's revenue model is almost entirely government-contract driven, combining managed services (multi-year ATC tower operations and ramp tower services, including as subcontractor to Saab-Sensis at JFK and LaGuardia) with professional services (engineering, installation, maintenance, and CNS/ATM studies). Primary customers are the FAA and U.S. Army / Department of Defense; secondary customers include major hub airports (FLL, JFK, LGA, formerly SEA), the Commonwealth of Virginia, and foreign civil aviation authorities supported through U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) funded projects in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Ghana. Pricing is established through competitive federal procurement and is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Robinson Aviation

Legal name

Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc.

Website

https://rvainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Robinson Aviation (RVA) is a privately held U.S. aviation services contractor founded in 1986 that operates 102 FAA contract air traffic control towers and delivers engineering, technical operations, ramp tower, and CNS/ATM consulting services to the FAA, U.S. Army, and international agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Traffic Control Services

NAICS

Air Traffic Control (488111), Airport Operations (48811), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC) (THABAIAA)

Keywords

• Air traffic control
• Airport ramp services
• Aviation engineering
• CNS/ATM consulting
• FAA contract services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. FAA Contract Tower Program Operations: RVA operates air traffic control towers under the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program. Currently operates 102 towers in areas II and IV of the FAA's Federal Contract Tower Program, plus Leesburg Executive Airport tower and two non-federal towers. Revenue generated through government contracts with the FAA.
2. ATC Communications Systems Engineering and Installation: RVA provides engineering, installation, and maintenance for ATC communications systems, including antenna systems, UHF/VHF air/ground communications systems, digital recording systems, back-up power systems, ATIS digital voice announcement systems, and other ATC facility systems. Includes Army National Guard Maintenance Contract and ATC Communications Systems at 7 Army Airfields.
3. NAS Infrastructure and Equipment Engineering: Professional engineering services for National Airspace System infrastructure including Civil Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Electronic Engineers, Communications Engineers, Construction Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Radar Engineers, Telecommunications Engineers, and Transportation Systems Engineers.
4. CNS/ATM and Aviation Safety Studies: RVA provides CNS/ATM procedures development, obstruction evaluations, airspace safety studies and analysis, and aviation safety studies for both domestic and international clients. International services include ICAO standards development and FAA IASA audit preparation.
5. Ramp Tower Operations: RVA provides ramp tower services at major airports including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, metering services at JFK International Airport, and deicing management at LaGuardia International Airport. Services provided as subcontractor to Saab-Sensis at some locations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. staffs and operates air traffic control towers under the FAA Contract Tower Program, manages ramp tower operations at major airports, and provides engineering, installation, and maintenance services for ATC communications, navigation, and surveillance systems. The company also delivers CNS/ATM procedures development, obstruction evaluations, and aviation safety studies for U.S. and international government clients.

Product overview

Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. is an aviation services company offering a portfolio of integrated services for the aviation and defense sectors. The company operates as a service provider rather than a software product company, delivering its offerings through five interconnected service lines: Air Traffic Control Services (operates 102 FAA contract towers with 600+ controllers), Technical Operations & Services (communications, navigation, radar engineering and installation), Ramp Tower Program (ground movement operations at major airports), Engineering Support Services (NAS infrastructure engineering and airfield systems installation), and Research & Analysis (CNS/ATM studies, safety analyses, and international aviation consulting). The company also provides Aviation Security Services and Training Programs as supporting capabilities. RVA has been in business since 1986, serves primarily the FAA and Department of Defense, and maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Traffic Control Services Staffs and manages airport traffic control towers (ATCTs) under the FAA Contract Tower Program, with over 600 controllers operating 102 towers in FAA Areas II and IV plus Leesburg Executive Airport and two non-federal towers.
• Ramp Tower Program Provides ramp tower operations including aircraft sequencing, taxi communications, pushback approval, and ground movement monitoring at major airports such as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, JFK, and LaGuardia.
• Technical Operations & Services Engineering, installation, and maintenance support for FAA and DoD systems including antenna systems, UHF/VHF air/ground communications, digital recording, ATIS digital voice, and back-up power systems; includes Army National Guard maintenance contracts and communications systems at 7 Army Airfields.
• Engineering Support Services NAS infrastructure and equipment engineering across civil, electrical, electronic, communications, mechanical, radar, telecommunications, and transportation systems disciplines, including TERPS procedures, obstruction evaluations, and airfield lighting/electronic systems installation.
• Research, Analysis & Support CNS/ATM procedures development, obstruction evaluations, aviation safety studies, airspace safety analysis, ICAO standards development, and FAA IASA audit preparation for international aviation authorities.
• Aviation Security Services Transportation security studies and planning, including security audits and security plan development for general aviation airports.
• Training Programs Develops and delivers training programs for ATC personnel and technical training for the maintenance of aviation equipment and systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• First in nation virtual ramp control deployment at Fort Lauderdale Airport
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of Oklahoma and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2016FAA selected University of Oklahoma and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University teams to lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance (COE TTHP). RVA has worked with these aviation education institutions.
• Saab-SensiscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRVA operates as subcontractor to Saab-Sensis providing metering services at JFK International Airport and deicing management services at LaGuardia International Airport, operating the Saab-Sensis surface management system at both locations.
• FrequentiscoreTechnology or IntegrationRVA is the Prime Installer of Frequentis VCCS (Voice Communication Control System) with installations at 50+ ATC Towers and TRACONS and ongoing installation at 90 sites for the US Army worldwide.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Indra Sistemas: Indra is a global ATC systems vendor providing ATM automation, surface management, and CNS/ATM solutions that compete for FAA and international CNS/ATM consulting work alongside RVA's research, analysis, and technical operations services.
• Leidos Holdings: Leidos is a major federal systems integrator with deep FAA, DoD, and aviation engineering practices (including the FAA's En Route Automation Modernization ERAM program). It competes for larger FAA and DoD aviation services contracts that overlap with RVA's technical operations and engineering work.
• Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC): SAIC provides FAA and DoD aviation engineering and IT services and competes for NAS infrastructure, CNS/ATM, and airspace modernization programs that overlap with RVA's Engineering Support Services line.
• Thales Group: Thales is a global Air Traffic Management systems integrator offering TopSky ATC solutions, radar, and CNS/ATM systems that compete with RVA's technology integration services and that are deployed at the same FAA-contracted towers RVA operates.

Direct peers

• Robinson Aviation (RVA) - Self: Excluded — this is the subject company itself, included only to indicate the FCT competitive set is dominated by a small number of private contractors including RVA.
• Frequentis AG: Frequentis is the technology partner whose VCCS (Voice Communication Control System) RVA installs at 50+ ATC towers and 90 U.S. Army sites. Frequentis directly supplies the same VCCS and ATM technology globally, making it a vendor-counterpart and indirect competitor in ATC communications.
• AvPORTS: AvPORTS operates FAA Contract Towers and provides airport operations, FBO, and air traffic services at multiple U.S. airports, making it a direct competitor in contract ATC tower staffing and airport management services.
• Midwest Air Traffic Control Service: Midwest ATC is a direct FAA Contract Tower Program contractor providing air traffic control services at general aviation airports in the central U.S., competing head-to-head with RVA for FCT tower operations and staffing.
• Saab Inc. (Saab Sensis): Saab Sensis is both a channel partner and a competitor in airport surface management, providing the Saab-Sensis surface management system used by RVA at JFK and LaGuardia, and competing for ramp tower automation technology contracts at major airports.
• Serco Group plc: Serco is one of the largest private operators of FAA Contract Towers in the U.S. and a direct competitor to RVA in the FCT Program, offering air traffic control staffing and operations services across civil aviation with comparable federal contracting capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RVA-Robinson-Aviation-INC-102915178178097
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robinson-aviation-rva-inc/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Robinson Aviation