London City Airport’s New Control Tower Will Be Human-less and Completely Digital

And will be controlled by operators who are around 70 miles away.

byAaron Brown|
London City Airport’s New Control Tower Will Be Human-less and Completely Digital
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London City Airport is getting a new air traffic control tower that will be managed by people in a village that's about 70 miles away, the airport announced in a press release Friday.

The tower, built by Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions, will have 14 cameras and various sensors mounted on it that will broadcast a 360-degree look at the airport to the remote controllers. 

The video feed and data will be transmitted to operators in Swanwick, Hampshire using "super-fast secure fiber connections," the airport said in a statement. Fourteen high-definition monitors will display the video. Audio and radar feeds will also be broadcasted from the airport.

“A pioneering new digital air traffic control system will enhance safety and improve resilience, setting a new standard for the global aviation industry to follow,“ said London City Airport CEO Declan Collier in a press release. "With London City Airport’s plans to grow and an existing tower which is reaching the end of its operational lifespan, this cutting edge, proven technology future-proofs London City Airport’s air traffic control for the next 30 years and beyond.”

The tower construction will go through 2018 and testing and training will follow. The digital tower is scheduled to go into operation in 2019.

According to the press release, London City Airport is the first airport in the UK to get this kind of technology.

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