London City to have UK's first remote tower

London City Airport is to become the UK’s first airport to have remotely controlled tower operations. Air traffic controllers at NATS control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire will watch live footage from cameras at London City Airport to instruct aircraft movements.

Work on a new 56-metre high ‘digital’ tower is to start at London City Airport later this year. It will have 14 High Definition cameras and two pan-tilt-zoom cameras providing a 360 degree view of the airfield in a level of detail greater than the human eye.

The images of the airfield and data will be sent via independent and secure super-fast fibre networks to a brand new operations room at Swanwick. From Swanwick, air traffic controllers will perform their operational role, using the live footage displayed on 14 HD screens that form a seamless panoramic moving image, alongside the audio feed from the airfield, and radar readings from the skies above London, to instruct aircraft and oversee movements.

Mike Stoller, Director, Airports at NATS, said, “Digital towers are going to transform the way air traffic services are provided at airports by providing real safety, operational and efficiency benefits, and we are delighted that London City Airport has chosen to work with us to deliver what will be the first of its kind in the UK.”

The technology from Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions is already in use at Örnsköldsvik and Sundsvall airports in Sweden. It has also been used in trials at Cork and Shannon airports in Ireland, with controllers based in Dublin.

Controllers will be able to utilise a range of viewing tools such as high definition zoom and enhanced visuals, which provide detailed views of activity on the airfield, including close-up views of aircraft movements along the 1500m runway, with pan-tilt-zoom cameras that can magnify up to 30 times for close inspection.

They will also have real-time information, including operational and sensory data, to build an augmented reality live view of the airfield. For example, the ability to overlay the images with weather information, on-screen labels, radar data, aircraft call signs, or to track moving objects.

Construction of the tower is due to be completed in 2018, followed by more than a year of testing and training, during which the existing 30-year old tower will continue to operate. The digital tower will become fully operational in 2019.

NATS video