London airport to get first digital air traffic control
BY Agencies19 May 2017 5:37 PM GMT
Agencies19 May 2017 5:37 PM GMT
London is to become the first UK city to replace its air traffic controllers with a remotely operated digital system, the media reported.
Instead of sitting in a tower overlooking the runway, controllers will be 80 miles (128 km) away, watching live footage from high-definition cameras, the BBC reported on Thursday.
The new system, due to be completed in 2018, will be tested for a year before becoming fully operational in 2019.
It has already been tested in Australia, Sweden, Norway and Ireland.
The technology has been developed by Saab, a Swedish defence and security company, and will be introduced as part of a 350 million pounds development programme to upgrade London City Airport which will also include an extended terminal building, enabling it to serve two million more passengers a year by 2025.
It will provide controllers with a 360-degree view of the airfield via 14 high-definition cameras and two cameras which are able to pan, tilt and zoom, reports the BBC.
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