Page 21 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017 Online Magazine

FEATURE REMOTE CONTROL TOWER
FEATURE REMOTE TOWER

at seven Lithuanian and three Hungarian Remote Tower solution to the Norwegian designed for the provision of services
airports in 2017. ANSP, Avinor. The solution includes an RTC to locations that were not previously
Saab has delivered the first Remote and two connected airports in northern economically viable, such as low volume
Tower solution to the Swedish Air Navigation Norway. The objective for Avinor is to move airports, long periods of low traffic levels
Service Providers (ANSP), LFV. The solution into operational use in the near future. Two such as night-time operations or airports
includes an RTC and two connected airports sites in the Netherlands – Schiphol and with high seasonality impact. It can also be
in northern Sweden. The Saab Remote Groningen – are also trialing it, while in the deployed for dangerous or unpopular sites
Tower system for LFV is now approved for USA, Leesburg airport in Virginia is also like active military theatres. The offering is
operation, the first example of a remotely assessing it. “Several countries including also perfectly suited as a business continuity
operated airport in the world. Singapore have shown keen interest in and disaster contingency support in case the
According to Landin, in Australia Saab the system as ANSPs, airport owners and primary tower suffers a catastrophic failure,
is currently implementing a remote tower operators, and related stakeholders are and where the ability to support increased
solution for non-operational evaluation facing growing pressure to reduce their operations while maintaining existing staff
to Alice Springs with the RTC in Adelaide, operating costs for air traffic services while levels is desirable,” says Donovan.
some 1500 kilometers from the airport. The maintaining safety and efficiency,” Landin Thales has an added advantage as several
airport, serving carriers including Qantas adds. Thales unveiled its remote tower TopSky-ATC customers already leverage
Airways Ltd. and Emirates Airline, was run offering, an extension of TopSky-ATC, its its embedded remote centre capability in
from a control tower 1,500 kilometers to market-leading automation system in 2016. order to deploy remote approach control or
the south in Adelaide. Airservices Australia, “We believe that many of the core functions tower systems because they use the same
the government entity that employs more and capabilities that are needed for a remote core processing, data and tools. TopSky-ATC
than 1,000 controllers, is now evaluating tower have an analogy or exact replica in the which the offering extends from, is one of
and potential deployment of this type of air traffic control centers we already build,” the most widely-deployed and flexible ATC
technology. Saab has also delivered the says Donovan. “Thales offering is specifically automation systems in the world with 140
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