Contributor - UK

David Donald

Saab has launched the latest addition to its growing portfolio of remote/digital tower air traffic control systems. The Integrated Digital Tower Solution (i-DTS) is aimed at large airports, initially as a “mirror” contingency tower to ensure they can maintain operations in the face of adverse events, but ultimately to develop into a system that could replace the traditional ATC tower.
In 2015 Saab began operations with its first 360-degree camera-based remote tower (r-TWR) at Sundsvall airport in northern Sweden. Since then the company has become an acknowledged pioneer in the sector, with an increasing number of its systems in operation at locations such as London City and the NATO air base at Geilenkirchen. Such systems, however, operate primarily at smaller regional or military airfields, usually with single-runway operations.
In the meantime, the capabilities on offer have grown, and now include the ability to integrate an r-TWR into a traditional ATC tower system. That hybrid approach is employed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, where an r-TWR controls the Polderbaan runway, located some way from the main airport complex. Recently Saab has added a field-deployable r-TWR solution for bare-base operations.
Along with its tower solutions, Saab has been developing integrated automated air traffic control systems (i-ATS) that cover a wide range of ATC functions, with systems installed at Istanbul’s new Havalimani airport and Singapore-Changi. The company won a contract in 2022 to install its i-ATS at Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) Airports
Now Saab is bringing together its r-TWR and i-ATS expertise to offer the i-DTS as a system for controlling large airports, providing greater resilience to weather events and system component failures, as well as threats such as terrorism. The i-DTS also provides the ability to train controllers in an airport-wide setting without affecting real-world ATC functions.
The key to large airport control centers on the recognition that the ATC team comprises many members, each with specific areas of control, such as an individual runway or ramp. The i-DTS employs the same airport-wide panorama camera view presented on a large wrap-around screen array, as used by the r-TWR system. However, each controller works at a console with a role-based display of their particular area of interest, along with the regular 2D radar ground display.
While each controller has the tools available to perform their tasks at their consoles, they can also view the airport-wide picture on the screen wall in front of them. ATC supervisors also have the whole airport picture available, as well as the ability to view more detailed areas if required.
Controllers can see relevant imagery on their console, which then gets highlighted on the main screen wall. Similarly, events generated within the i-ATS, such as runway incursions detected by ground radar, immediately appear on the camera display. Air and ground “avoid” areas can be displayed graphically on the camera view, while the positions of drones and other potential threats can be visually highlighted.
Saab continues to work on new technologies to enhance air traffic safety and security, driven by the company’s own research and customer requirements. Some of that work focuses on the greater use of artificial intelligence to enhance data analysis and control guidance, as well as the integration of unmanned traffic management (UTM) in advance of the expected boom in advanced air mobility vehicles.

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