Source: SAAB.
In the rural cities of Sweden, connectivity, especially between the people and airports, is a challenge.
Whereas a majority of cities in the UK, for example, are relatively tethered to one or even a few airports, the rural cities of Sweden are not in the same bracket.
Also, there is a lack of talent when it comes to recruiting roles for air traffic control, which is vital to the safety of landing and departing flights.
Airport operator Swedavia, in partnership with the country’s civil aviation authority, LFV, has demonstrated that a new solution can – and has – been adopted to ensure air traffic control runs smoothly in Sweden’s airports without the need to construct on the apron.
Remote air traffic control systems operated at Sweden’s Kiruna, Umea, Are Ostersund and Malmo airports aim to improve air traffic movements in the country with a ‘keep it simple’ approach.
Moving away from the cluttered desks of traditional air traffic control towers, the new remote towers are operated off-site close to the airports.
There is also the ability to connect multiple airports in one off-site location, ensuring that the smaller airports in Sweden are as safe as the larger counterparts.
Air traffic control was a pertinent subject of discussion in the United Arab Emirates as Dubai Airports are expected to handle over 100 million passengers by 2020. Movements in the airports have also increased by 50% over the last eight years, it was stated at the ATC Forum in Dubai.
Abdulla Al Hashimi, Executive Vice President for Operations at Dubai Air Navigation Services stated that this increase in traffic warrants an “upgrading of our airspace.”
Dubai Airports leaders will undoubtedly have used the forum to gain a perspective on how best to approach air traffic control as the aviation industry continues to grow in the UAE.
