Navigational aids are extremely important to an airport's operation. By guiding an aircraft to a safe landing in low visibility, their continuous and accurate performance directly affects airport safety. After a NAVAID has been installed and commissioned, it is essential that it be kept "on the air".

NAVAID maintenance involves more than repairing occasional outages. NAVAIDs are sophisticated electronic equipment, which have been commissioned by the FAA. By federal mandate, the safe operation of non-federal owned NAVAIDs can only be accomplished by FAA-qualified and FCC-licensed maintenance personnel.

Repairs to a failed system, or corrections of deteriorating conditions must be performed by qualified personnel, to verifiable standards following written procedures. The FAA requires periodic checks, tests and observations to FAA and FCC specifications which can only be conducted by qualified personnel. Results are recorded in appropriate documents, confirming continued safe performance. After repair or correction, only a qualified engineer can place a system back in service.

Because of these stringent requirements, airports striving to maintain non-federal NAVAIDs need the help of an experienced, professional, NAVAID maintenance company.