The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Services organization issued its Operational Viability Decision on the Saab Remote Tower (rTWR) system late in September.
The FAA authorized the continued provision of air traffic control (ATC) services by controllers using the system at Leesburg Executive Airport, Virginia.
This milestone FAA decision has positioned the Leesburg airport – the second-busiest general aviation airport in Virginia – one step closer to permanent ATC services, while avoiding the ever-increasing expense of constructing and maintaining a conventional, multi-story ATC tower.
The Saab rTWR system deployed at Leesburg includes fixed High-Definition (HD) cameras and controller displays, maneuverable optical and infrared cameras, microphones, and a signal light gun.
In addition to live video, controllers have the full suite of tools required to operate the airport in a similar manner as they would in any other ATC tower.
What started in 2014 as a public-private partnership among Saab, Virginia SATSLab Inc., and the Town of Leesburg, the U.S. launch of Saab’s rTWR system subsequently became the first under the FAA Remote Tower Pilot Programme.
More than five years of FAA formal evaluations and safety panels led to an initial operational phase, during which time certified controllers safely managed over 75,000 operations at Leesburg. Prior to installation of the rTWR, the busy airport lacked ATC services.
“Today’s announcement brings us even closer to an FAA-certified, lower-cost alternative for U.S. general aviation airports needing to replace their aging towers, or for busy airports similar to Leesburg seeking to add ATC services,” said Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab, Inc. “This is a revolutionary step for ATC, and Saab is proud to lead the way.”
Saab’s first rTWR system deployment in Sweden was certified and commissioned in April 2015, and systems are now in operation or being tested at over a dozen international airports.
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