AAI to pilot remote ATC tower system
- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to run a pilot project that will in all likelihood see Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar as the first to do away with manned towers for providing Air Traffic Control (ATC) services at their airports.
- As part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between AAI and SAAB India, the airports would run a pilot deployment of a Remote ATC Tower system where air traffic controllers and the control tower would be replaced by a bank of 16 high-definition, remotely operated, infrared cameras.
- SAAB India, which is into defence and aviation, will lead the pilot project that is expected to take a year before it becomes operational. The system is projected as a measure that can help AAI save costs.
- State-owned AAI, which manages more than 120 airports, is expected to operationalise more airfields in the coming months, especially with new routes being added under the regional connectivity scheme.
