by Florian Guillermet, Executive Director, SESAR Joint Undertaking.
In a matter of years,remote tower technologyhasre-written the rulebook on air traffic control. With a proven return on investment, remote towers offer a possible lifeline for smaller and regional airports struggling to survive during these difficult times, says Florian Guillermet, Executive Director, SESAR Joint Undertaking.
The COVID pandemic has had and will continue to have for some time a devastating impact on air traffic. Airports of all sizes have been hit hard but smaller and regional airports are particularly vulnerable as a result of the crisis as they must maintain air service provision for next to no traffic. While there is no silver bullet, these airports can use this as an opportunity to reflect on how to build their resilience at an affordable price in the long term. Given the social and economic importance of these airports for their surrounding communities, it will be critical to have strategies to ensure their sustainability. This is where innovation has a role to play. Satellite-based navigation technologies, such as ground-based augmented system (GBAS) or low-cost surface surveillance solutions, provide airports with the means to improve accessibility and increase their resilience at a fraction of the cost. But perhaps the most promising solution for these categories of airports are remote towers, a technology that SESAR research and innovation partners have made significant progress on in the last ten years.
Read the full article here: The multiplier effect of SESAR Remote Towers
.jpg){kind=logo}
.png)