25 JULY 2016

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Article from BTNews 25 JULY 2016

ATC faces digital change

Digital technology could take over from the traditional air traffic control towers at major British airports, according to the Swedish defence and security contractor Saab.

The company said the use of cameras and sensors for air traffic control could make towers obsolete by 2025 and several airports were considering the switch.

A report in Engineering and Technology magazine said Saab had tested the technology in the US, Sweden, Australia, Norway and Ireland. It was also demonstrated at last week's Farnborough Airshow.

The system uses cameras to relay information about what is happening on the runway to a remote control room.

The magazine said the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is trialling the use of digital towers at Cork and Shannon, with air traffic managed at a control centre hundreds of miles away at Dublin airport.

NATS, Britain's air navigation service provider, said it is considering a number of potential digital projects in the UK, the report added.

The first airport to have such a system approved was Ornskoldsvik in Sweden, where flights have been controlled by a remote tower in Sundsvall, 110 miles away, since last year.

Saab said the installation and operation of digital airport systems costs a fraction of what a traditional tower costs, without affecting safety.

www.saab.com

www.nats.aero

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