About Us

Acoustical Investigation & Research Organisation Ltd. (AIRO) is a leading acoustic consultancy and test house offering precision on site laboratory measurement facilities and a specialist consultancy services for projects involving acoustics, noise or vibration.

Our experienced and approachable team enjoy helping the public, residents, design teams, architects, developers, lawyers and others to find acoustical solutions.

We aim to take the time and trouble to fully understand your particular situation and to explore with you the help we can provide.  Communicating complex technical information clearly and concisely to you is important to us.

Independent, impartial advice is a cornerstone of our service.

Our team routinely measures, models, assesses, advises and reports on road traffic noise, railway traffic noise, aircraft noise and environmental noise for planning applications, for environmental statements, for compliance testing, for cases of noise nuisance and other similar noise investigations according to the latest guidance and supported with a comprehensive range of noise and vibration instrumentation and software.

You benefit from AIRO’s longstanding and experience, having operated sustainably since 1958, and from working with our friendly, professional team each with a minimum of over 10 years’ experience in acoustics.

Our extensive on-site laboratory testing facilities include:

sound transmission suites for the measurement of the sound insulation performance of building elements (such as block walls, stud and glazed partitions, floors, windows),

reverberation chambers for measuring sound absorption and sound power level (including air flow related work).

Information regarding our laboratory testing services is provided on our Sound Testing page (click here) whilst information regarding our consultancy services is provided in our Services section (click here).

AIRO is a member of the Association of Noise Consultants, a member of the British Measurement and Testing Association, a UKAS accredited testing laboratory No 0483 for a wide range of acoustic test procedures and also a UKAS accredited calibration laboratory No 4554 for verification of tapping machines.


Brief History

Acoustical Investigation & Research Organisation Ltd. (AIRO) was incorporated in 1958 to cater for the then growing need for technical expertise in the acoustics and noise assessment and control fields. The inauguration of the consultancy service was soon followed by the opening of the laboratory facilities at Hemel Hempstead in 1959. This was the first fully equipped, independent commercial acoustics laboratory to operate in Britain, previous laboratory facilities having been confined to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and to the Research Department of the BBC.

Since inception AIRO has carried out a wide range of testing and consultancy work for private individuals, all sizes of developers and corporations, as well as local and national government organisations based in the United Kingdom and all around the world. Our projects have varied from short term measurements and assessments to major, long term infrastructure projects.

AIRO has led and / or has been team members of

• research & development projects

• transport infrastructure projects (all sizes from simple road junctions to full bypass and motorway schemes)

• national government research projects

• major residential development projects

AIRO has also designed, installed and maintained bespoke sound systems primarily for cathedrals, churches and chapels as well as performance spaces.