Frequentis appointed technical supplier of remote control for Naviair’s regional control towers
Dato
04.02.2020
Frequentis DFS AEROSENSE has won the tender for the supply of technical equipment to Naviair’s future RTS centre (Remote Tower Systems) at Billund Airport. Naviair’s vision with the centre is, with time, to offer centralised traffic control to regional airports, replacing the current system where air traffic is controlled locally by the control towers at the individual airports. Frequentis will therefore also be responsible for supplying the technical equipment to be installed at the airports that choose to avail themselves of Naviair’s new service.
Today, the development of new technology and digitisation makes it possible to centralise the control tower functions of several airports at a single control centre. This means that Naviair can offer its customers a much more flexible and scalable service than they get with the individual control tower solutions.
RTS has already been successfully introduced in several other European countries. Frequentis has supplied RTS equipment which is currently in use in Germany, Austria, Iceland, Jersey and Brazil. Naviair’s vision is that a new control centre should, with time, take over the tower control at a number of Danish regional airports, so that air control is centralised in a single location and remotely controlled instead of the current system where air control is performed by control towers at the individual airports.
Initially, Naviair will establish a temporary RTS control centre at Billund Airport and carry out a pilot project in which the centre controls air traffic in and around Billund. At the control centre, the air traffic controllers work at screens that provide a virtual overview of the airport. Information is transmitted to the control centre from sophisticated cameras and other equipment installed at the airports. Frequentis will be responsible for supplying both the equipment to the control centre and the surveillance equipment for the airports.
According to plan, the control centre at Billund will start controlling operations in 2022.
Other airports can later be connected to the centre and transition to RTS as and when required. This offer is available not only to the airports already serviced by Naviair air traffic controllers but also to other airports that are interested in the advantages associated with RTS control, for example the possibility of operating around the clock. This would enable ambulances, the police and rescue services as well as charter flights and air cargo transport to operate 24/7.
“After several years of analytical work and planning, we are keen to get started with RTS in Denmark. We are convinced that RTS will strengthen the aviation industry in Denmark and first and foremost improve mobility for the benefit of Danish society,” says Carsten Fich, CEO, Naviair.
Frequentis DFS AEROSENSE looks forward to supplying the equipment for the Danish Remote Towers.
“Our digital RTS solutions give air traffic controllers access to advanced visual monitoring, including automatic detection of all objects moving in the air space. Since all tasks are handled using camera equipment and advanced algorithms, it is often not necessary for the airports to install new equipment on the runways, which means that unnecessary interruptions to air traffic can be avoided,” says Hannu Juurakko, VP ATM Civil, Frequentis.