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Two male and one female Air Traffic controller sitting at working positions

Use cases

Deployment scenarios for digital tower technology

To reduce costs while increasing performance and safety, many ANSPs and airport operators are investigating new operational concepts based around digital tower technology. While every organisation has its own unique operational and technical requirements, there are three common deployment scenarios: remote tower, multi remote tower, and virtual tower.


Remote tower solutions

Remote tower solutions are typically deployed at smaller airports in locations or airports with highly seasonal traffic. By deploying sensor technology at an airport and linking it over an ATM-grade network to a centre in another location, operators can avoid the high investment cost of a conventional tower, reduce operational expenses, and increase flexibility.

Multi-remote tower solutions

Multi remote tower solutions extend the remote scenario to cover multiple airports – for example, to create an ATC centre capable of managing traffic across all airports within a region. In a multi remote tower set-up, a single controller can oversee two or more airports simultaneously. Supervisory tools enable staff resources to be balanced according to changing patterns of demand, enabling operational efficiency while protecting against controller overload.

Virtual tower solutions

Virtual tower solutions typically address the requirements of larger airports with higher traffic volumes and complexity. Virtual towers can augment the capabilities of a conventional ATC tower or even replace them completely. In addition, virtual towers can provide a powerful contingency option if the main tower is out of action, or act as a test bed for new functionality, or host ATC training sessions.



Videos

Use case: Remote tower
Use case: Multi remote tower
Use case: Virtual tower