Saab Proposes Digital Tower Technologies For Contingencies At Major Airports

DUBAI—Having pioneered digital remote towers for regional airports, Saab is exploring whether that technology combined with its Integrated Air Traffic Suite products could also support major international gateways.

The company is proposing this new Integrated Digital Tower Suite (I-DTS) to major airports to give them a contingency capability that could enable them to remain fully operational and at capacity, even if an air traffic control tower is forced to close due to say a fire or evacuation of its staff.

“Airports now operate in a different world,” Niclas Gustavsson, Saab’s VP for business development at government affairs at its Digital Air Traffic Solutions business, told ShowNews in the run-up to the Dubai Airshow. “If a tower is unable to function the existing contingencies cannot operate at full capacity, that has a huge impact on both the economy and transportation.”

So far, the company’s digital tower technology—which replaces the traditional air traffic control structure with high-definition cameras linked to a nearby or geographically separate locations—has so far only largely only been adopted for regional airports, with London’s City Airport the busiest facility so far to make use of it.

But to make the digital towers more attractive for larger airports, Saab is combining that system with its automated air traffic control products, blending the two technologies together.

By fusing the technologies together, air traffic controllers could be warned of drone incursions, with their location highlighted on their digital view of the outside world.

“This technology could really make a difference for airports around the world especially now as we face more unrest in the world,” Gustavsson said.

Gustavsson said the technology is already developed and being offered to three major international airports with the OEM working on more sales campaigns.

With airports recognized as critical national infrastructure by governments, Gustavsson said the technology would boost the resilience of the facilities against potential disruption.

The company will be talking about the plans here at the Dubai Airshow ahead of a formal launch of the product at the Airspace World airspace management exhibition in Geneva planned for March. “This is not about contingency with less traffic, but contingency at 100% capacity, that is the main driver here,” Gustavsson said.